This War Of Ours
by LilManiac
Summary: The continuation from Wonders and Woes of Teenage Turtles. Rated M just in case... The Yeerks have taken this war to a whole new level. We have to find a way to win, to survive this... to live...
1. Not So Ordinary Day

**Chapter 1  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

I glided silently above the treeline, watching as the full moon slowly rose over the mountains, the soft pale glow of it lighting up the landscape around me. The world itself seemed dead as I flew over it, occasionally catching sight of a small rodent or other animal, flitting through the trees or over the ground. I watched as something flitted into a bush, my shadow floating above it before I moved on.

To them, I was the silent killer, and they were my bait. But... I wasn't out for them. I was out for a very... different... reason.

I angled my wings slightly, making sure that my path would miss the massive mountain that rose in front of me. The sight of the dark beauty in front of me almost made me forget why I was out here. The silent and unmovable behemoth probably held so many years of stories, seen so many things...

The rustling from below me brought me back to the present, reminding me that I wasn't alone.

I looked down, catching a flash of the figure below me, before it was gone again.

So, it was on then. The race against time.

Against...

I tried to pick up my pace, knowing that I had to get back before the figure caught up to me, not knowing if they were aware I was above them, but knowing I had to get back home before they realised it.

Home. The base.

I flapped hard, managing to glide myself over another mountain, watching as the figure took the long way around, finally gaining some ground on them.

As I did, I saw the lower entrance emerge in front of me.

To anyone else, it would look like just a normal rock face on the side of a mountain.

To me... it was my entry point.

I angled my wings, tucking them in when I was at the right point in the sky, diving downwards towards the rock face. As I got closer, I flared, landing almost silently on the soft earth in front of it.

As soon as I hit the ground I started to grow, feathers melding into skin, and my hard beak started to meld into my face.

I was soon myself again, quickly dropping the large and heavy bag I was carrying, deciding that if I had to, I'd leave it outside. My heart was now pounding as I tapped my pockets, trying to-

"Looking for this?" Came a voice from behind me, and I spun around, barely catching sight of something in his hands before his lips were on mine, and I was pressed against the rock.

The sneaky ninja had done it again.

One hand snaked around my waist, as the other pushed against the wall behind my head, hearing a click almost right next to my ear.

I managed to push him away a little, breaking the kiss and hearing the rock behind us start to vibrate a little.

"I hate when you do that" I murmured, then let a small yelp as he pulled me away from the rock face as it started to move, turning me around as he did and holding me against him.

"You love me" Was Donnie's whispered reply as the entrance to the base finally opened up just enough for us to go through. I managed to free myself, turning to look up at him, then half grabbing the heavy bag, and he grabbed the other half.

"Not when you steal my key" I grunted a little as we both half dragged it inside the smallish hanger bay, grabbing the little round watch like object before the entrance closed again.

I stuck it back in my pocket as we dropped the bag, and suddenly he was taking me in his arms again.

Donnie. Just one of four big green ninja turtles.

"I didn't steal it... I just thought you might-" He was cut off by a grunt, and then Ithiell emerged from under what he had been working on, wiping his claws on a cloth. We parted instinctively.

"Are you two done?" He almost snapped, his eyes looking wary as he looked at the bag behind us.

"Yeah, we got more trinkets for you" I grabbed the bag, trying to pull it along, finally being helped by Donnie and we placed it in front of a still frowning Ithiell.

Ithiell...

He really wasn't the same guy anymore.

It had been three months since the news, and he had shut himself off from everyone. I probably would have done the same thing if not for Donnie. He had kept me grounded.

Ithiell, however, had chosen to pull away from everyone, working on a new fighter to get us over there. All his time was spent working on it, all of us wondering...

We had gotten in contact with the Animorphs, and discovered Cassie had gotten in contact with Amanda before everything hit the fan, warning her of their identities being compromised. Last she heard, Amanda would let Robert know, and they would work it out from there. So... if they had gotten out in time or not, we didn't know.

For both myself and Ithiell, we had decided in our minds that they were MIA, until we could find some way to contact or find them. The thought of my best friend being dead...

Personally, I think the thought of her not being around was starting to kill Ithiell inside. If it wasn't for Rtaia, and occasionally myself, pushing him to get sleep and eat from time to time, I don't think he ever would.

"Did you get the-"

"Right here" Donnie pulled out a strange kind of cylinder, with connections on both ends. Ithiell took it, looking it over.

"Doesn't look damaged, thank goodness. Should work well with the new modifications I've built from-"'

They started discussing the mechanics of the ship, which had been mostly built from what we could salvage from Ithiell's old fighter late at night, as well as things we could pick up from the remnants of smashed out stores, and occasionally Bug fighters if they were grounded. That was our mission each night that Ithiell asked for new supplies. Donnie would find the parts that Ithiell needed, and I would shift them into my form, carrying them in the bag we bought along.

Tonight was a good night. We'd managed to break off alot of what was left of Ithiell's old fighter, with the help of a tool Donnie had made, and I had been able to shift the bag into my owl form, with only a little difficulty.

"I better get started on this" Ithiell suddenly turned away, holding the piece in his hands and going to grab something off his bench as he went towards the half built fighter. It looked strange, and distorted. It was partially the nice off white of his fighter, and the black of the bug fighters. From what I could tell, it would be sleek and possibly deadly. It was the only thing I could imagine Ithiell building at a time like this. He would probably want someone to pay...

"Need some help?" Donnie looked at me a little sheepishly as he said this, but I assured him by kissing his cheek and pushing him towards where Ithiell had gone. At least while Donnie was there, Ithiell would be able to talk to someone. Even if it was about engine parts and things I couldn't understand. Having some focus seemed to help Ithiell, at least a little, as well as being able to brain storm. Plus, it would mean the fighter would be built sooner. This waiting was doing my head in...

I tried not to let the worry get to me as I stepped into the tunnel near us, the voices of the two fading a little as I climbed the short set of stairs, emerging into the main room.

Mikey and Kristiana were curled up on one of the couches in front of the TV, and I noticed they had opted to watch a movie we'd had laying around, instead of the horrible news reports that were plastered on every channel. The horror... the chaos...

The human race was fighting back, but more people were being killed than anything. Some were opting to just give up, but all you saw on the television anymore was military fighting the Yeerks, and the Hork-Bajir controllers slicing and dicing people, Dracon beams burning people to a crisp...

And for the moment, there was not much we could do. We'd landed some small blows, but we all knew that wouldn't be enough. For the moment we were kind of stuck in limbo, waiting for Ithiell to work out where to go or what to do.

Leo, however...

"So, another three down here, what about you?" I heard him say as he and Raph stood at the computer screen, looking back at the faces of Rachel and Marco.

"Two, no thanks to Jake" Marco rolled his eyes, his arms crossed against his chest. Rachel looked equally unimpressed.

Strangely enough, Marco and Rachel had taken over the Animorphs, as Jake seemed to have finally snapped about a month back. I honestly don't know what happened, but I heard it was bad. He'd completely lost it, screaming and throwing whatever he could get his hands on.

"So what did the idiot do now?" Raph grunted, almost copying Marco, folding his arms and leaning back a little.

"You... don't want to know" Was Rachel's answer.

"So have you had any security issues?" Leo spoke up again, leaning forward and looking up at them. I couldn't help but move over to them, nodding my head at them when they noticed me, a silent hello.

"No, the Ellimist seems to have made it harder for the Yeerks to find this place, which is a relief at least" Marco now, his features softening a little. I knew he was worried about his dad.

"Now..." Leo stopped when I put an arm on his shoulder, looking up at the others.

"Jade?"

"Have you heard anything?" I asked, and Rachel frowned a little, my heart dropping.

"Jade, we'll keep trying. We have Ax trying to work out-" But I didn't hear the rest, slumping a little in one of the chairs as I felt Leo's hand on my shoulder.

Soon, the conversation turned back to how many smaller Yeerk facilities they'd been able to take out, and what they now had on the cards. Leo had uncovered some more places that we could take out, and Ax was somewhere in the background, doing his alien thing and checking out the locations Leo had found, assessing the layouts...

"Oh, you're on your call!" Came a familiar voice and I looked up to see my mum of all people pop into view, just behind Rachel and Marco.

"Mrs-" Marco addressed my mother formally, and she looked at him, almost pleading.

"Jade is there" Rachel assured her, moving so she could take her place at the screen "You can talk to her"

"Oh, my baby!" I moved into view, in front of the boys, and she looked almost about to cry.

"Are you okay? Are you eating? Are you sleeping well?"

"I'm all right mum, really" I assured her, putting my hands on the desk in front of me and trying to smile at her.

"Oh sweetie, you look so pale, are you sick?"

"No, mum, I'm fine, how are you and the others? Hows dad doing?" I asked, and we had a short conversation about my dad and siblings, then suddenly... shock crossed her face, and she looked at something not far from her. I could see Marco raise an eyebrow.

"Mum.. you okay?" I thought maybe she saw something near her, or-

"Oh, I just realised its almost one in the morning"

"Yeah, it is"

"Sweetie, before I go, I just... I want to say..." Tears came to her eyes, and her lip trembled.

"Oh mum, don't cry" I felt tears spring to my eyes then, hoping she wasn't scared or hurt in some way, or some thought-

"Jade, my darling daughter... Happy Birthday sweetie"

"Oh" I felt slightly embarrassed, hearing the boys make surprised noises behind me "Thank you mum. Love you"

"Love you too baby" She started to cry more then, blowing me a kiss and then she was gone.

"Wait... it's your birthday?" Rachel was suddenly back, a look of surprise on her face.

"Uh... yeah" I muttered, deciding now was the time to move away from the screen, hearing the boys both wish me Happy Birthday.

I was eighteen. This was meant to be a happy occasion, becoming an adult... moving forward with life... having a big party to celebrate.

But...

It just didn't feel right, turning eighteen without Amanda.

-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After I'd eaten and cleaned up, I decided to go and hide where most people wouldn't try and follow.

Mine and Donnie's room. We didn't need to share a room... there were plenty, but I just found I felt better, having someone to curl up with, when the worry and the hurt got too much to bear on my own. I missed Amanda, so much more on this day... the day of my birth...

I knew she'd want me to go out and party with her, since in Australia you were legally an adult at eighteen. You could go out and drink, go to clubs...

Her happy face flashed in my mind as I lay in bed, feeling the tears start to flow again. I missed her so much...

I couldn't imagine the pain Ithiell felt when he thought of her. It must have been tearing him to shreds, not knowing, not being able to find out... and having the same fear I had of her possibly being dead...

Same with Robert. I knew he was an asshole alot of the time, but just trying to imagine him not being around, not making idle threats anymore, or walking away with his "whatever" wave he did, just... it didn't seem right.

No Robert... no Amanda...

I wondered if Rtaia felt the same. It was hard to tell with her... she always seemed so calm and composed...

Speaking of, she had been spending alot of time with Serah and Mihra. I think it was to make sure she didn't get hurt. She had become surprisingly protective of Serah, and Kristiana. Maybe that was how she dealt with the events...

I eventually drifted off into a dreamless sleep, waking up what seemed like an hour later to find a body next to me, arm around my waist loosely, as if he was afraid to wake me. I was actually grateful he had come to bed so soon, being able to cuddle into him and feel a little better. I think in a way he knew, because he pulled me close in his sleep, his lips slightly resting on my forehead, muttering something as he slept.

Donnie... the moment we'd found out, he had been there. Through the tears, through the screaming, even through me trying to beat his chest and call him names, none of which I'd meant, he had been the one to hold me up and keep me going. He'd also understood when I pulled away from him. When I sat in the dark and stared at nothing for almost a week. I think I was in denial... or something. Either way, I felt dead for that week.

Kristiana had been there that week, sitting beside me in the darkened room, a quiet presence. I think it helped during that time, just having her there with me. I eventually managed to pull myself out of my stupor, which I think everyone was glad of.

Eventually, I was able to talk to Donnie about it all, calmly, without getting too emotional. He sat there, not saying anything, but understanding and not letting me get too far out of his sight, since then...

The others had been there too, to back me up. Serah had pulled me up, and given me something to occupy my time with. She asked that I teach her some self defense, so she could at least try and protect herself if anything happened. I couldn't help but agree with her, and we had tried to fit in at least an hour a day. She was picking it up quickly.

We had all tried to help Ithiell as well, but... how can you console someone who lost someone so dear to his heart? I

I hoped I'd never have to go through that with Donnie... never have to feel... like Ithiell was probably feeling.

I managed to drift in and out again, feeling somewhat content in Donnie's arms. This had now become the norm for me... I hadn't slept properly in who knows how long. The longest I slept straight through of a night was possibly two hours. Everything else was a broken half sleep, cause all I could think about when I wasn't focused on something was my lost friends...

After what seemed like a few more hours, Donnie woke up which woke me up properly, both of us laying there staring at one another.

"Happy Birthday beautiful" He said finally, pushing a stray hair back from my eyes, putting it back behind my ear.

I felt a slight pain in my chest, forcing a smile for him and saying "Thankyou Donnie"

"Leo told me-"

"Oh, okay then" I cut him off a little, moving out of his arms and going to get up, feeling hot tears start to brim my eyes. I knew he was probably sick of me crying... I was sick of myself bursting into tears at the drop of a hat.

Instead, I busied myself with doing a little tidy up, moving some of his gear to the top of the set of drawers in the room, picking up some clothes and what not that we had both left around.

"Jade" A strong hand suddenly caught my wrist, and I looked up at him, feeling a tear finally slide itself down my cheek. He frowned a little.

"Do you want to talk-"

"No, not really" I pulled away from him, and he let me, standing there and watching me tidy this and that, finally coming over to me again.

"So... eighteen now hey" He took my hands, pulling them up and kissing them a little and making me look up at him again.

"Yeah... it's...not really a happy day" I muttered, feeling a lump in my throat.

"Well, maybe we can make it"

"Donnie, I-" I stopped as he put his arms around me, hugging me a little before pulling away and taking my hand, leading me to the door. He opened it-

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I jumped, instinctively hiding back behind Donnie before I realised what I was seeing in front of me.

All of my friends... besides Ithiell... were out there, waiting for me. From what I could see, they had made some kind of decorations, which were now all over the main room. A small banner was being held between the girls, who were both grinning like idiots. It read "Happy Birthday Jade"

Splinter and Rtaia were also there, and between Leo and Mikey, there what looked to be a very hastily made cake. Mikey was eyeing the little candle on top, and I noticed Raph was keeping an eye on Mikey.

"Wait, wha-" I lost my voice, Donnie gently pushing me in front of him, hands now resting on my shoulders as the boys brought the cake forward.

"Make a wish Jade" Mikey looked almost happy, and I think if we weren't in the situation we were now in, I would have reacted differently.

"Uh, thanks guys, but I don't think-"

"Come on, we've got some fun things planned" Serah was jumping a little on her heels, grinning at me like an idiot.

"I think you deserve it Jade" Raph said, smiling down at me as the boys now held the cake under my face almost, and I tried to back up, finding Donnie wasn't really moving.

"Guys, I appreciate it, I do, but I just can't-"

"Blow out the candle" Mikey giggled "But... don't forget to make a wish!"

Something in me just snapped. And I am not proud of what I did next.

"NO! GET IT AWAY!" I tried to push it away, instead my hands slammed into the cake, knocking it out of the boys hands and onto the floor. I managed to squirm out of Donnie's grasp, watching as the cake, that I knew was made with all the love they had, hit the floor and exploded everywhere, bits hitting my bare feet.

"Jade!" Splinter scolded, but I couldn't stop myself.

"NO! NO THIS ISN'T RIGHT! I DON'T WANT THIS! I DIDN'T WANT THIS!"

"You didn't want-" Serah started to say but I cut her off.

"No... I didn't want anyone to know about my birthday! I didn't want this at all! I cant..."

I started to panic, grabbing my head in my hands and watching as the others faces all turn to disappointment.

"Jade, maybe-"

"NO! NO! I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT HER!" I finally screamed, turning and running for the exit, hot tears streaking down my face as I ran. I had to get out of here!

"Without who?!" Leo called after me, but I knew he understood who I meant.

I couldn't deal with this day. Not without her. Not without...

Not without Amanda.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-**

 **What did you guys think?  
**

 **Please let me know!**


	2. No Giving Up Now

**Chapter 2  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I jolted awake when I felt the hand on my shoulder, realising I must have fallen asleep. I looked up, expecting to see Donnie, or maybe even Leo or one of the girls. Instead...

"Ithiell" I managed to croak out, seeing him smile wryly at me, moving to sit down beside me. I tried to wipe the rest of the tears away, taking in my surroundings. I had run from the base, going and collapsing against a tree, curling up and just crying. I didn't know how long I was like that, but I realised the sun had just passed us in the sky. It must have been early afternoon...

"Saw you leave. Thought you might need some time before I came after you" He finally said, looking at me. He looked beyond exhausted. I felt guilt well up inside me, realising I'd really hurt everyone else by my actions... I'd have to try and make it up to them later...

"I'm honestly surprised you did" I said a little plainly, and he looked at me, obviously too tired to say anything else.

We sat there for a few minutes, before Ithiell sighing made me look up at him.

"Jade, I..." He seemed to reconsider his words, then "I know it's been hard, on both of us, but I didn't realise how hard until I saw... and heard... you earlier. I was so caught up in my own grief that I didn't realise... didn't think..."

My arms were around his shoulders before he could stop me, pulling him close and trying to stop more tears from falling. He made a strange sound, then his hands went to rest on my arm.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I know... she... you loved her so much. But..."

I pulled away, moving to get up but Ithiell gently grabbed my wrist, stopping me from going anywhere.

"Jade?"

"Ithiell, you shut me out. You shut us all out. You... you didn't let us... you didn't let me in... "

I stopped when I realised he was starting to cry, unable to hold my tears in any more and hugging him as close as I could.

We sat like that for a while, both of us crying silently on the others shoulder, holding each other as close as we could and letting out the emotions we'd probably been holding onto for months.

After what seemed like an hour, both of our cries seemed to subside a little, and Ithiell took that moment to slowly pull away from me, and the look on his face shocked me a little.

"Ithiell?"

"I'm sorry Jade, I didn't mean to shut you out. Just... the thought of Amanda being... but, we still don't know. And..." His eyes narrowed, determined now.

I opened my mouth to say something, my mind suddenly blank as I looked at his face. I hadn't seen this face in a long time.

"And doing this to ourselves isn't helping. We need to... we need to be like Robert at a time like this. We need to fight on, and win this war. For them"

He was right. Doing this to ourselves wasn't going to solve our problems, or defeat the Yeerks. As hard as it was...

"No giving up now?"

"Yeah. No giving up now"

We fell silent, and I got caught up in the noises around us, looking around, before Ithiell cleared his throat a little.

I turned to him as he put his hand on my shoulder again, looking straight into my eyes.

"Jade, I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me"

"Forgive you? What...what's there to forgive?" I asked stupidly, hugging him again. I felt like I was finally seeing the old Ithiell again.

"For being so overcome with grief I didn't see the facts. Or... or your pain"

"Don't be stupid!" I pulled back, slapping his chest a little an hearing him grunt "We all deal with things differently. You just... got busy"

"Well... no more" He stood up, a genuine smile on his face for the first time in I didn't know how long, holding out a hand for me to take.

I took it, and he helped me up with strength I didn't know he still had, now looking at me with such determination.

"Jade, I need your help"

"To do what?" I backed up a little.

"To finish the fighter, and... to help kick those nasty little slugs off this damn planet once and for all!"

I couldn't help but smile, putting a hand on his shoulder "All right, I'm in. Lets do this... for them"

He nodded, going to move away, but then turning back to me.

"Oh, but first?"

I blinked.

"Happy Birthday Jade"

I smiled "Thanks Ithiell"

"Now... let's go back and celebrate"

I let out a groan, looking up at him "Only.. if you come too, and take a break from that fighter"

"I... I can live with that" He shrugged, nodding.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Words couldn't express how sorry I was to the others. Although... I did my hardest to say it to them... to explain and apologise.

To my utter surprise, they all seemed to accept my apology, even hearing Mikey of all people say that he understood why I flipped out like I did. Which was... a little strange coming from him, but I was grateful. They even managed to make a new cake while I was gone, and were all more than eager to still continue with the celebrations. Even though I knew I wasn't in the best mood to celebrate, I had to try for them. And over the next couple of hours, I found I was starting to finally enjoy myself.

I really did have wonderful, amazing supportive friends. Even Ithiell kept to his word, and joined in. We ate, we laughed, we even played a strange makeshift game that Kristiana and Mikey had come up with, eventually both of them getting annoyed with one another, as they couldn't agree on the rules. So, we sat and watched a movie instead.

It was then that I noticed Splinter wasn't with us, managing to untangle myself from Donnie, going to look for him. I went to the makeshift dojo he had put together, finding he was on a small podium at the back of the room. He was facing away from the entrance, arms behind his back and his head lowered.

"Splinter?" I asked, watching as he turned around and went to him, kneeling down in front of him out of respect. He had his arms behind his back, his head down and eyes closed.

"Jade" Was all he responded, and I gulped a little. This couldn't be good...

No. No giving up now. Whatever punishment he had for me, I'd take it. I knew I deserved it...

"Over the years, you have become like a daughter to me. I have cared for you, and respected your decisions as you grew. You are a fine, strong young woman and I could not be more proud of what you have become, given the circumstances we have faced"

Sounded like I was both being praised, and told off. Which confused me more. But I didn't dare ask him about it, instead opting to be quiet, my eyes focused on his sullen form.

"And although I haven't always agreed with your choices, I know you have done your best with each decision. Which is why I now ask you this..."

He finally looked up at me, and I couldn't help but stare, staying as silent and as still as possible.

"Would you consider training under my guidance?"

My jaw dropped. He wanted to train me to...

"You want me to be a ninja?" Was all that came out of my mouth. He nodded, smiling at me now.

"I have seen great potential in you, and with my teachings, I can help you become even greater"

"Oh Splinter, that would be the most wonderful gift" I bowed low, tears springing to my eyes. Splinter was offering to train me?

I felt a hand on my head, and I looked up to see Splinter smiling at me.

"From now on, you may call me Sensei. We will begin your training tomorow"

"Yes... Sensei. But... why not now?"

To my surprise, he helped me up, and turned me around to where Serah and Kristiana were waiting for me.

"Because... your friends have other plans for you tonight"

Before I knew it they grabbed each of my arms, dragging me excitedly out of the makeshift dojo.

-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-

I groaned a little " _Now_ what are you doing?"

"Noooothing" Serah giggled, and I heard make Kristiana make a strange kind of happy sigh. One was putting what I guessed (I hoped) was makeup on my face, and the other was doing something with my hair.

And I had absolutely no idea why. They had said they wanted to pamper me, and they did start off with a small shoulder massage, which got me relaxed in a chair in Kristiana and Mikeys room, before they attacked with makeup and hair brushes.

"Okay, open your eyes" Kristiana said, and I opened them, trying not to cringe back as she brushed away something beside my eye, then smiled at me.

"There, and now..." She put that away, then brought out something else.

"Whaaat is-ow! Hey!" I yelped as Serah yanked a little.

"Sorry, I just had to get a knot out"

"The hell are you doin' back there anyway?" I muttered, trying to turn my head, but Kristiana turned it back, attacking me with another product.

"I saw this really nice hair style a while back, and I've always wanted to try it out on you... it's turning out good!" She giggled again, and I sighed.

"You know it's my birthday, right?"

"We know. It's why you're doing this. You deserve to feel... like a princess... even just for a little while"

"Uh... why-"

"Just trust us, please?" Kristiana smiled sweetly at me, and I sighed, letting them continue to torture me. I guess it would feel good to feel pretty for a little...

After a little what seemed like forever they were done, but instead of letting me look in the mirror to let me see what they'd done, they shoved me into Serah's room.

"Jeez girls, a little rough aren't you?" I muttered, shaking my head at them a little and watching as they dove over to a small cupboard, both of them fussing before pulling out-

"Wh-wait a minute" I pointed at the dress they were now holding "How did you get that?"

It was the pretty purple dress they had brought me for that party. The one that-

"Uh...well... we-"

"Mikey and Leo helped me get it back for you" Kristiana admitted "We all went on a little field trip... and yes, we know that it was dangerous, but... there wasn't anyone around. And... well..

"Kristiana and I have been trying to fix it back up for the last month or so. It was uh... a bit..."

But I didn't let her finish, almost knocking her over in a hug, then hugging Kristiana in the same way.

"You girls are amazing. Thank you so much"

"Don't cry! We don't want you ruining your makeup!" Came Serah's voice from behind me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, put the dress on. And..." Kristiana moved away from me, pulling out a pair of purple high heels, which had a small heel and straps to go around the ankles. I had do admit, they were pretty like the dress. I was almost afraid to ask them how they'd gotten them.

"Wait... what are we doing?"

"No, it' what _you're_ doing, now hurry!" They both ushered me back into mine and Donnie's room, where I got changed, realising I hadn't seen any of the others for a little while. I wondered what they were doing... if Ithiell was all right...

When I came back out, they pretty much pushed me towards the hanger bay, then one of them opened the entrance and both of them ushered me outside.

"Girls, what the-" They were pushing me towards somewhere, but I didn't know where, and all I could do was follow them as they went to the elevator thing that Ithiell had designed, ushering me onto it then riding it up to the top with me (he'd redesigned it to take us all the way up, then all the way down if you had an entrance key).

It shuddered to a stop, and I blinked, finding something like a small picnic up at the edge where it had stopped, feeling myself pushed onto solid ground before turning to see them wave at me, before Serah used her key and the elevator disappeared, with the girls still on it.

"Hey!" I went to move towards the cliff face, looking down and suddenly feeling the earth under one of my shoes crumble, my arms starting to windmill as I tipped forward.

"Whoa-oh!" I felt a strong hand grab me, pulling me away from the edge, and I half slammed into a strong chest. I looked up, finding none other than my ninja nerd there, shifting his glasses up as he smiled down at me.

"Hey" Was all I could get out, smiling back up at him as he took my hands, leading me towards the little picnic setup.

"Hey" He responded, almost spinning me around and pressing me against his chest, then half spun me away again, making me look up at him.

"What was all that about?" I wondered, feeling him take my hands and move away a little, looking me up and down. The look on his face actually caught me by surprise, and I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at him.

"Donnie?"

"I just... you're beautiful. I mean... well... more... no, wait-"

I put a finger to his lips, and he went quiet, looking down at me.

"I know what you mean. Thank you" I moved back towards him, my hands on either side of his shell, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss, which he happily returned.

"That dress really suits you" He muttered when I pulled away, and I smiled a little, tickling his sides and hearing him protest a little, before pulling away from me, sitting on the blanket and fiddling with something on it. It took me a moment to realise...

"A radio?" Was all I could wonder as I heard some soft sweet song come from it, and he stood back up, grabbing one of my hands in his, and putting his other on my waist.

"I thought we could... I mean..."

It was hard to keep quiet as he stood there, looking honestly lost as he tried to find the right words.

"Jade... may I have this dance" He finally said, and I couldn't help a grin from my face.

"Of course you can" I put my hand on his shoulder, and we started to move awkwardly, suddenly finding he wasn't so bad at dancing.

Shame I wasn't as good. Luckily for me, he was leading.

He spun me around again, pulling me back in against him and I couldn't help but look at him, feeling a little lightheaded. This was...

"Donnie" I managed to get out, making him look down at me.

"Thank you. This is beautiful. You..." I trailed off, putting my head on his chest as we continued to dance more closely, our arms shifting so now his arms were around my waist, and my arms were up against his chest, as he was too tall for me to put my arms around his neck.

"Happy Birthday beautiful" He murmured into my hair, half kissing my forehead, and I couldn't help but look up at him.

"I love you, so much" Was all I got out, feeling surprisingly happy.

"I love you too" He leaned down and kissed me, both of us stopping out strange little waltz on the mountain top.

I knew then, this was what I should be fighting for. For him... for us... even for the others, my friends, who forgave me and took me back in without questioning. They were what I had to fight for.

And I couldn't forget that anymore.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Okay, you see how this connects to this?"

"Mmhmm"

"Now we need this one to connect here, to give us-"

I tried to let all the information sink in, but it was harder than it looked. Ithiell was too technical minded for me to follow alot of it, even though he was trying to simplify it to my benefit.

"Wait, so we need this?" I asked, picking up an odd tool, and he smiled at me a little.

"Good, so you remembered" He took the tool, and we both lay our backs on the small trolleys, sliding under a part of the fighter. I watched as he fiddled away with it.

It had been a few days since my birthday, and we had both talked sparingly about where to go from here. Ithiell had decided to power on with the fighter, but I was finding he was at least trying to eat and get more sleep than before. I think it was a relief for Rtaia as well.

My training for the last three days with Splinter was brutal, even though it was only for an hour each day. And each day he knocked me on my ass more times than I could count. I could barely avoid any of his attacks, mainly because he was just so fast. But I was determined to get better, and I knew that with time, I could do it. As Ithiell and I had agreed, no giving up.

This afternoon, I was helping Ithiell. He was trying to include me in the building of the fighter, and although I had trouble picking up the more complex words and jargon, I was sure I was picking up some basics. I knew I'd probably sleep like a log tonight though... Splinter had really done a number on me, and I was left feeling sore after being flipped over his shoulder, and thrown to the ground...

"Okay, done" We finally emerged from under the fighter, both of us surprised to see Donnie there, looking quizzically at both of us. I had a momentary panic, wondering if he thought I was doing something with Ithiell, but it soon passed as he knelt down in front of us, smiling.

"How's it coming?"

"Good, I just explained to Jade the connections-" They went off on their smart techy talk again, and I got lost, instead getting up and grabbing a cloth to wipe my now grubby hands on. It didn't do much good, but I didn't mind. I felt like we were finally getting somewhere, and Ithiell was now opening back up to me. I just hoped I could help him enough to get the fighter moving sooner. If we could, we could strike some bigger blows to the Yeerks, as well as...

I shook my head, moving back over to the two, who were now standing and talking about an interface of some sort.

"You guys done with the shop talk?" I asked them, and they both looked at me.

"Shop talk?"

"We got work to do you know Donnie" I pushed his shoulder playfully, and he grinned stupidly, picking me up and making me shriek as he threw me over his shoulder.

"Donnie!"

"All right, let's get to work!" He turned around, and I saw Ithiell laughing a little as Donnie slowly walked away. I slapped the back of his shell, unable to hold in a giggle myself.

"What kind of work are you thinking!"

"Weeeell..." He moved to go inside the fighter, and my jaw dropped.

"You dirty minded nerd you!"

"Don't even Donnie" Ithiell shook his head, and suddenly I found myself slipping from his shoulder, being dropped to the ground and looking up at Donnie's now mischievous face.

"Have you been taking lessons from Mikey?" I asked him, and he just smiled at me.

"Hey, Donnie, think you could help me set up that interface? I could really-" Ithiell was interrupted when Leo came into the room, closely followed by Serah.

"What's up guys?" I asked, and Leo looked at me.

"We found another Yeerk operation, and it looks like a big one this time. Thought we could get Ithiell and Donnie to have a look"

"Sure, just give us a second" Ithiell moved over to his table, grabbing the cloth I'd just used and wiping his claws on it. I shook my head, wondering if maybe I should get him a new cloth...

When he was done, we all followed Leo down the corridor, and I saw Serah sidle up to him, looking almost upset.

"But, I can-"

"No Ser, it's too dangerous for you. I don't want you getting hurt"

"But I can shift now" She looked at me, and I raised an eyebrow a little. I knew her mum and Rtaia were teaching her, but it took a long time to master. I doubted she had managed to master shifting in a mere few months, when it had taken me almost a year to get anywhere near good at it.

"Serah, please" He turned, taking her arms, and we all stopped. I saw her pout a little as he leaned down slightly, coming eye level with her.

Well, this was awkward.

"Not this time. Maybe next food run, okay?"

She didn't seem to like that answer, but nodded anyway. He pulled away, patting her shoulder before we continued on.

"Uh... huh?" Ithiell seemed to be confused, but then we all came up to the screen in front of us. It looked like a blue print of some sort, up on the screen.

"Ax has just sent us this. Some of the Yeerk resistance managed to sneak this to us, it looks to be-"

"No way" Donnie gaped at it, his hands now flying across the keyboard, seeing another screen come to life.

"Hmm, if I'm seeing this correctly, they plan to level the city and use it to build a large base of operations" Ithiell hummed a little.

"Wait, what?"

"You mean to tell us that now _our_ city is going to be blown up?" Raph didn't look happy at all "What's next? They decide the _earth_ isn't good enough for them, and blow it up?!"

"Pretty much" Donnie was still doing something with the computers, and Ithiell now joined him, grabbing a small object that looked like a mini computer and tapping a way on it.

"Settle Raph" I moved over, putting a hand on his tense shoulder. He glared down at me, but I didn't move. I knew there was no way he'd ever hurt me, no matter how hard he glared. But, if looks could kill... I'd be severely injured at least.

"So... what do we do?" Mihra asked, turning to Ithiell.

To my surprise, he looked at me, a look of determination back on his face.

"We show those little bastards why they shouldn't mess with us"

 _ **x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **What'd you guys think? Good? Bad? Let me know!**_

 _ **And as always, constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	3. A Different Jake

**Chapter 3  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

"This is insane!" I heard the familiar voice from out in the main room, turning to my head slightly. In that split second, I missed blocking a kick to the gut, collapsing onto the floor of the dojo and holding where I'd been hit.

"Oh, sorry Jade!" Serah was at my side, looking apologetic.

"No, it's my fault" I grunted a little as she helped me up, then over to the small podium Splinter usually stood on.

"Kinda kicked you hard but" She continued, sitting in front of me, but I shook my head.

"No, it was a good kick. I let down my defense when I shouldn't have, so that's on me"

"Jade is correct. You are improving" Splinter was suddenly at the door, making us both jump.

"Sensei" I bowed my head a little.

"I have come to inform you that the others have arrived"

"Thank you Sensei" I lifted my head, sharing a look with Serah and following Splinter out into the main room.

From what I could see, it looked like all the Animorphs had arrived safely, and were spread out around the main room, talking to the others.

Ax and Tobias were on the either side of Mikey, and I could see a big grin on Mikey's face as Ax looked behind him with his stalk eyes. I saw Tobias shaking his human head and sighing. Cassie was sitting on a couch with Kristiana, and they both seemed to be talking about something or other. I noticed Raphael and Rachel were close by, seeming to have just greeted one another. They were both near where Marco, Ithiell and Leo were standing around Donnie, who was sitting on one of the computer chairs, tapping away furiously. I went to move over to the group, but something stopped me dead in my tracks.

I turned, and saw Jake of all people there, meeting his eyes in the half shadow he was in, leaning against a wall. His stare was cold and it honestly scared me, wondering why they had to bring him here with them. One less Animorph wouldn't affect the mission too much, would it?

I shuddered a little, watching as Splinter went over to Mikey and the boys, and Serah moved quietly to stand near Leo, wondering if maybe she had developed a slight crush on him. I'd seen her hovering around him alot lately. I wondered if maybe he noticed...

In spite of still feeling watched, I moved over to where Donnie was, putting my hands on his shoulders and making him glance up at me, before he continued his furious typing.

Just feeling his warmth under my hands seemed to calm my nerves a little, and I quickly tuned into the conversation they were all having.

"So, how do we get in there?" Marco asked, folding his arms. I noticed Raph had his arms around Rachel's waist, and in spite of the conversation, she didn't mind him doing so.

"Well, the skies will be a no go, and anything on the ground will be spotted and chewed to pieces. They'll have controllers everywhere"

"That really doesn't leave us with many options" Rachel shared a look with Marco.

"The sewers?" Leo offered, and everyone seemed to hum at once.

"Possible, but we don't know what they might have hiding down there" Ithiell pointed out "Especially if they're expecting us to try something like that.

"Maybe a diversion team could go in first, distract-"

"No" Ithiell shut Marco down "There are just too many of them now, for one thing, and for another... either or _both_ teams could be killed"

"Well, I don't know how else we'll get in there" Donnie seemed worried, still working away. Soon, Ithiell sat down next to him, joining him on another computer next to him.

"How far have you gotten with hacking the Yeerk security?" I asked, squeezing Donnie's shoulders a little. He made a strange sound.

"Not as far as we hoped to get. Although, the Yeerks have probably upgraded their security by now"

"Very possible" Ithiell agreed "But... maybe a timed burst of electromagnetic-"

"Oh!" Donnie gasped, seeming to catch on "That is brilliant! We could use that to knock out the-"

"You people are idiots" Came the voice, and I think everyone stopped talking, looking over as Jake emerged from the shadows. His eyes kind of made me shrink back a little. I had never seen him this cold...

"And who asked you?" Raph grunted, but Rachel hushed him.

"The only way you're going to be able to stop this, is to take down that Yeerk ship hovering over the city"

"And how do we suggest we get in there, _brainiac_ " Even Leo seemed hostile towards Jake, which wasn't like him. He and Jake usually got along, at least to some extent.

Jake's eyes locked onto mine again, and he started to move forward. I was surprised when Donnie stood up, placing me partially behind him, his hand resting at my elbow.

"Jake man, stop being stupid" Marco put his hand up, and Jake stopped, half smiling at me. His eyes... that smile...

Not even Robert could pull of a look that horrible and cold.

What the _hell_ had happened to him?

The air in the room was tense, before Jake let out a strange laugh, moving to leave the room.

"Forget it, I'll do it myself"

"Jake, don't you dare!" Rachel snapped, but he was already gone, and we all looked after him. No one however, made a move to stop him.

"That...that..." Rachel looked ready to explode, but Marco put a hand on her arm, making her turn on him a little.

"Let him go. There is nothing he can do on his own anyway"

"He could tell them about this base" Donnie growled a little.

Marco shook his head "He's lost it, but he hasn't lost it that much"

"Marco" I moved to stand in front of Donnie, feeling his hands on my shoulders as I looked at Marco.

"Are you absolutely sure? He seems..." I shuddered "Kinda scary"

To my surprise, Marco frowned.

"No... I'm not sure. Right now I'm just hoping"

Well, that was sure comforting.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

So, it was decided that we would do recon only, to work out exactly what we had to work with in the city, since most of the raids we had pulled off had been at the edges of the city. Ithiell, Rachel, Marco and I would all go and try and get as far in as possible, and see as much as we could without being seen.

We knew it was dangerous, but we had to start somewhere. I half wondered if maybe Jake was right about taking out the Pool Ship, but then again...how would we even manage it? We were too few to pull off something like that. And Jake had no chance in hell of doing it on his own. I half wondered if he had a death wish or something... the way he was acting, if the Yeerks didn't finish him off, I got the feeling Donnie or Raph probably would. That is, if he pushed them hard enough...

As we were about to leave though, Donnie stopped me.

"Hey" I managed to get out, I looking up at him curiously. His hand was suddenly at the nape of my neck and I felt a sharp pinch, yelping and jumping away from him, looking up at him as I grabbed at my neck.

"Donnie, what-" That's when I felt something small and circular, frowning as he looked at me apologetically.

"I borrowed some ideas from Ithiell. It's a little device I made that can monitor any major changes in your pulse, or your-"

"Could have warned me beforehand" I grunted a little "Hope it comes off"

"It does" He placed one on Ithiell's neck, then gave the other two to Marco and Rachel, who were both half glaring at him. I guessed if he'd tried to put them on himself, he would have found a very angry gorilla and grizzly bear chasing him.

"So, this thing melts into our shifts and morphs?"

Donnie nodded, looking a little excitedly at Ithiell.

"So if anything happens to you while any of you are out, we can trace it here and warn the others, or come and get you ourselves"

"Interesting... " Ithiell muttered, pulling off what I saw now looked like one of those small round things that doctors stick to a persons chest to monitor their life signs.

"As I said, could have told me about it before you slapped it on me" I mumbled again, pulling mine off and seeing it had two little tiny prongs on the underside of it. I guessed so it could latch onto the skin.

"Sorry" He came up to me, kissing my forehead and giving me one last small hug before I placed the small thing back on my neck, feeling it pinch my skin as it locked into place. I wiggled my finger up at him, and he smiled a little, winking at me. Cheeky little turtle! I would have to give him a good boot up the behind when I got back...

"You guys be careful out there" Leo said, watching as the others came out to see us off. Raph went to Rachel, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back, smiling up at him finally and giving him a soft peck on the nose. He grunted, then fell silent.

"Come back alive, my children" Splinter said, surprised that even he looked worried. Then again, this was the first time we would be venturing back into enemy territory since we'd been found out, and this time we were all going in mostly blind.

I nodded to Splinter, then turned to Ithiell, who smiled.

"You ready?"

"Yep, let's do it!"

"Hey!"

"Sorry Rachel!" I couldn't help but let out in a giggle.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Massive didn't do what I was seeing ahead of me any justice. Even from so far away, the size of the Yeerk Pool was beyond enormous. I would guess that even the Blade Ship, which had been huge, would have looked pretty small next beside it.

(Are you guys seeing this?) I heard Marco ask faintly, and we all responded with thought speak noises of agreement. I don't think any of us could really believe it. How the _hell_ were we going to fight this thing, with only a handful of us?

And these things were all over the _world_! I wondered how we'd even be able to take _one_ down, let alone _all_ of them.

I felt a small bit of despair seep in then, now looking at this humongous beast in front of us. Was earth really lost? Did we fail?

(Ithiell?) I thought spoke to him privately, but finding I got no answer. He, as well as the others, were probably just too far out of range now. I felt the despair deepen, trying to shake the horrible thoughts from my mind. Instead, I tried to turn to the search that I was meant to be doing.

Under me, I slowly started to pick up signs of Human and Hork Bajir controllers, seeing random pockets of them, as well as some Taxxons, walking through the streets. Near the Pool Ship, I could see Bug fighters flying in and out what looked like hanger bays, some circling around the massive ship, others taking off into the night, disappearing from even the sharp sight of the owl.

So many controllers... so much-

Something suddenly caught my eye, and I was surprised to see what looked like a tiger of all things, creeping in the darkening shadows. He stopped, stock still suddenly, watching as a group went past, continuing to creep in the shadows.

(So that's where you went) I muttered to myself, unsure whether to follow him, or just keep going on my intended path. Either way, Jake wasn't aware of me, and unless I spoke to him, he wouldn't even know I was here. I half wished I was in range of one of the others, to let them know that Jake was doing something stupid again, but I doubted that even if they could hear me, any of them would be able to help being so far away.

The image of Jake staring at me earlier made me instantly shudder, part of me wondering if I should even help him if things went bad. After all, the look on his face...

He wanted to hurt me in some way. I could tell.

I started to wonder if maybe _I'd_ triggered the events that eventually lead to his breakdown. I mean, it was entirely possible-

I started to get ahead of him, gliding silently higher above the now empty buildings, seeing more and more pockets of scattered controllers. They were looking for something...

Soon, I came upon a very strange sight. In the middle of a large intersection, it looked like they'd set up some sort of makeshift camp. There were tents here and there, and small fires burning around the camp itself, one large bonfire like structure almost in the middle. Near it, I saw some sort of large table, with what looked like a massive map of the city, although I couldn't see too clearly from this far away, and I wasn't going to chance getting closer.

I managed to land on top of a building not too far from the camp, looking out over the groups of controllers coming in and out of what I guessed was a home base for them. Luckily, my keen owl ears was able to pick up some of the conversation as I shifted myself on my perch, watching as quietly as I could. I was surprised they hadn't seen me by now, but from the looks of it... whatever they were looking for, meant more to them than some odd owl.

"Visser Two and Visser One have been at it again" I heard one of the Blue Bands below me mutter to a human controller. I heard her groan a little.

"If Visser One hadn't started the direct invasion, I doubt she'd still be Visser One after what Visser Two managed to do"

"Agreed. Visser Two-"

"Shh! She's coming!"

I saw a Bug fighter swoop down over the camp, instantly all the Controllers alert and at the ready. I saw some stand at attention, while the others rushed a little to clean up a few little somethings on the ground that I couldn't quite see.

It soon landed, and the hatch slowly opened.

"Visser Two has arrived!" Someone announced, and they all were instantly at attention.

"At ease" Came the voice, and something stirred in my subconscious as I saw a shadow come into the light of the bug fighter, then slowly make their way out into the open.

As soon as I saw her face though, everything just seemed to suddenly go in slow motion.

I'd had a feeling, I just didn't want to believe it.

April O'Neil stood with one hand on her hip, the other pointing and barking orders at the controllers around her, everyone instantly in a flurry of motion.

It suddenly all made sense. Everything fell into place.

How our identities were uncovered. How they knew where the turtles lair was... how they knew-

I felt a slight panic, wondering if she remembered the way up to the valley, hoping that the Ellimist would play his part and keep our friends, and families, safe at least.

April...what I guessed was now Visser Two... started moving towards the big map, hands on her hips and looking aggravated.

"Still nothing?!" She snapped, slamming her hands down on the map and slightly reminding me of Visser One.

I bet those two were _beeeeest_ friends.

(CAN ANYONE HEAR ME!) I called out as loudly as I could, still getting no answer. I had to get back to the others and let them know... the others would be devastated... especially poor Raph... he was really close to April, from what I'd seen.

In a... non romantic way, of course.

We would have to find a way to free her later on.

"No ma'am, we have-"

"Not good enough! I want everyone you have in that ship looking! And I mean _everyone_!" She growled, moving away from the table, and towards a tent, moving her head to look inside, then yelling some more at whoever was inside.

I was about to open my wings and take to the sky, when something caught my eye. I turned my keen eyes towards a spot behind the tent, catching a familiar glow of eyes just behind it.

(Oh no...) I muttered, now realising what Jake was about to do, and what he had planned all along.

He was going to kill a Visser... no matter what the cost was.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **What did you guys think?  
**

 **Please let me know!**


	4. The Reality Of War

**Chapter 4  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I only had one chance, and I knew I had to do it. More to save April's life than to help Jake.

I angled myself, tipping off the edge of the building and heading straight for Jake's head.

"What the-" I heard someone say behind me, but it was too late now.

I flared my wings at the last second, talons extended and heading for Jake.

Two things happened in succession.

Jake realised I was there, slamming a paw into my side and sending me tumbling somewhere behind him. And Visser Two just happened to pop her head out of the tent just as he hit me.

"Andalite!" Someone yelled as I hit the ground, pain shooting up my side before I found I was being picked up roughly in sharp jaws.

"No, Animorph!" Visser Two snapped "Get them!"

Sharp teeth kept digging further into me as he ran, skidding around a corner with what I guessed was controllers following.

"Don't let them get away, or I'll have your heads!" Came the scream as we dove into a dark alleyway, seeing lights bouncing around further up the alleyway, before someone took a shot at us.

(You've ruined everything!) Jake snapped, diving through a broken window, hearing shouts behind us as he climbed a set of stairs.

(You were going to kill April!) I snapped back, realising what I'd done and knowing I was done for now.

He dove into a random apartment before the Controllers could get up the stairs, spitting me out and almost throwing me as he dove behind a counter.

I heard the thundering of the stairs, focusing on shifting into the smallest thing I could think of, knowing Jake would either do the same, or...

Or wait for the right moment to strike. I just hoped he wasn't stupid enough to try it.

Now a fly, I latched myself under what I guessed was a table, seeing lights illuminate the room around me.

"Check everywhere!" I heard her snap, seeing several people come into the apartment, thundering around everywhere. I saw them head towards the counter...

To my surprise, nothing happened, and they continued through the rest of the apartment.

"Clear!" I heard someone yell, and suddenly everything went back into darkness, besides the small slits of light coming through the windows.

I didn't chance moving until I knew for sure they were gone, buzzing my wings and moving myself on top of the table, not sure where Jake had gone, but knowing I had to get out of here. The others needed to know about April...

I shifted back to myself, now finding myself sitting on the table, looking towards the door and straining my ears, not hearing anything.

"You!" Instantly my throat was grabbed, and my head was slammed down on the table, finding Jake over me. His eyes...

"I-" I tried to say something, but his grip tightened, making me gasp. His full weight was on me, on this table, as I desperately tried to pull at his hands.

By some miracle the table started to creak under our weight, finally breaking and giving me a chance to kick him between the legs, making him roll off me, holding himself on the floor as I staggered up and against a wall. I gasped for breath as he groaned a little.

"You stupid little bitch!" He snarled, trying to get up but I managed to get out of the way, keeping some distance between us and getting into a fighting stance, still holding my neck with one hand. He had just tried to _kill_ me!

What the _hell_ was wrong with him?!

"Do you really think killing April would have done any good?" I managed to ask him, seeing him try and step towards me again, but I backed up, moving myself so I didn't get cornered into a wall or anything. Eventually, Jake stopped, instead pointing a finger at me.

"They wouldn't have April if it wasn't for _you_!"

I couldn't help but stare at him.

"Me? I couldn't have stopped April from going ho-"

"Not what I mean, you little whore you!"

"Watch who you're calling a whore" I snarled, part of me tempted to fight him, but another knowing he'd probably try and choke me again if I got too close. And while we were human... he had the upper hand.

He started to come at me again, but I managed to keep a good distance between us, and he now stopped in the middle of the room, glaring at me.

"If you hadn't corrupted my cousin..."

" _What_?! Corrupted her _how_?!" Now he wasn't making any sense.

"Yes, you made her... want... that _thing_!"

"Jake, are you really-"

"You and that _beast_ are _disgusting_! I can't believe you chose _it_ over _me_ "

I had no words to say, instead just staring at him in disbelief.

"And because of that...Rachel followed your lead!"

"How the _hell_ does _that_ have _anything_ to do with _April_ and the _Yeerks?_!"

"Cause if you two hadn't gotten so fucking swept up whoring yourselves to them... NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"

He suddenly dove forward before I could counter, finding I was slammed against the wall, hands around my throat and holding me off the ground.

Again, I fought to get free, seeing his face close to mine now, those eyes cold and uncaring.

"If you hadn't gotten involved with those stupid reptiles, we would have bee more focused on the Yeerks, and they wouldn't have invaded earth!"

I fought again to get free, feeling my air being cut off as he pushed harder, fighting to at least be able to breathe.

"But no.. you and Donnie... as soon as you two... you fucked up, over, and over, and over... and even now! You...fucked... up"

I couldn't respond, knowing I had to do something or he really would kill me.

I moved to kick him, suddenly finding I was thrown onto the floor again, being able to breathe for just a split second before he was on me again, pinning my legs down as he straddled my hips, hands back around my throat, pushing down as hard as he could.

"I think it's time I got rid of you, then you won't screw any more of my plans up. And maybe... just maybe... I'll find a way to win. Without you and your stupid-"

I heard a hard thunk, before I saw Jake's eyes roll up into his head, almost collapsing completely on me. I suddenly found I could breathe again, throwing his hands of my neck and gasping for breath as suddenly he was roughly shoved off me, looking up to see my savior.

I was half expecting Donnie, instead finding Serah there. She was holding what was left of a chair. From what I could see, the rest had broken off when she'd clocked Jake over the head.

"Ser?" I finally managed to get out, coughing a little as she tossed the remnants of the chair aside, holding out a hand for me to grab and hauling me up. I gasped for breath, leaning a little against the wall when the room started to spin slightly. He'd... he'd...

Slowly, I turned to look at Serah, trying to avoid looking at the lifeless form next to us.

"That idiot had it coming" She wiped her hands on her jeans a little, looking at me and smiling.

"How... did you-"

"I uh... well I had a feeling you might need some help"

I looked at her, and she held up her hands a little.

"Hey, I know how to shift, so I uh... snuck out and followed you"

"Ser, it's dangerous here" I finally managed t get out normally, rubbing my throat and finally looking down at Jake. He was laying face down, and I pushed him a little with my shoe, then shoved him harder when he didn't move, rolling him onto his back. His eyes were closed, and his face had no expression.

Good, out cold.

"I know but... Jake is an ass, and I had-"

"Ser, you could have been killed!" I managed to get out, not knowing if she realised the situation we were now in. I started to hunt around the apartment, finding a standing wardrobe.

"But I didn't" She said, almost smugly.

"This isn't a game Ser, if you don't keep your eyes open, you could get hurt" With that, I shifted into a gorilla, tossing Jake roughly into the wardrobe, then shutting the door. I shifted back, looking around in the half light, seeing an old belt laying around, grabbing it and expertly looping it around the handles, half locking him in. I heard her make a sound, looking annoyed but didn't say anything else.

At that moment something flashed on my wrist, and I moved my hand up to see my watch blinking rapidly away.

I tapped, suddenly seeing Donnie's worried face on the screen.

"Jade! Your device went-"

"I'm okay, I'm okay! Seriously... I am" I had to cut him off, feeling the look on his face told me more than enough. My device triggered some sort of panicked reaction, mostly for Donnie.

"What happened?" I heard Leo say, half squeezing into view behind his brother.

"Guys, I don't want you to panic, but... Jake happened" I finally admitted, seeing shock on Leo's face, and anger on Donnie's. I saw him start to move-

"But I'm good! I'll explain later, but-"

"What happened to your neck?" Leo asked, and I saw Donnie tense, looking closely.

"Hey, look who saved me!" I brought the watch away from my face, and towards Serah, who smiled down at the two.

"Serah?" Now Leo sounded shocked, and also... something else.

"Hey guys, I saved the day"

"That's great, but how did you get out there" Leo sounded annoyed. Donnie had gone silent.

"Um... I became an owl and flew?"

"Okay guys, enough talk" I turned the watch back to me "We gotta move, and we gotta move fast"

"What about Jake?"

"He's in the closet" I admitted, showing him the small wardrobe and hearing what sounded like Mikey let out a snort.

"Uuuh, Jade?" I heard Leo ask, looking worried.

"He'll get out. Until then, he'll be... somewhat... safe from the Yeerks"

"Oookay then"

"What? Not like we can trust him around for the time being"

At that moment I heard a crash from somewhere outside the apartment.

"Gotta go" I cut communication, turning to Serah, who looked worried now.

"Under" I pointed to the bed, and she nodded, getting down on the floor and started to crawl under the bed as I flattened myself up against the wall of the bedroom near the door, peeking out as I heard another crash even closer to us.

I started to shift, seeing almost pure fear in Serah's eyes as I could now hear footsteps coming towards the apartment.

(Whatever you do, don't move) I said to her, finally full tigress (I'll take it from here)

She looked like she was going to say something, but at that moment whoever it was entered the apartment, muttering to themselves.

I took that moment to strike, diving out of the cover of the bedroom, seeing three human controllers. The look on their faces changed from bored to terrified as they realised they had a full grown tigress coming at them.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I stood in the hallway, panting heavily. There were more people around than I thought. I barely had time to take them out, one of them getting a lucky shot in my left leg, so I was now bleeding.

(Ser, you okay?)

I heard a sound, limping back into the apartment as she came out to me, probably seeing the blood on my muzzle and leg.

"Y-yeah, are you?"

(All good) I shifted back, looking around the apartment. Thankfully, I didn't hear anything else coming before I completed my shift.

"We gotta get to the roof"

"Uh, why?"

I rolled my eyes, going to stand at the door, looking left and right, then indicating she follow me. I opened the door to the stairwell, going in first and looking up the winding staircase, then down them. It all seemed quiet...

"Hey!" A shout from behind us made us both snap our heads around, just before a shot ricocheted off the handrail next to us. I grabbed Serah's arm, almost throwing her towards the stairs, pushing her up them and shutting the door behind us, finding no way to lock it so I just followed Serah as quickly as I could.

We ran as fast as we could up the stairs, hearing at least one controller come in behind us, chasing us up the stairs.

He fired another shot, and we both threw ourselves back against the wall, before I pushed Serah to keep going.

"Don't stop!"

"Okay!" She almost shrieked, and we threw ourselves up those stairs as fast as possible, finally hitting the door to the roof and shoving our way through.

We spun around, throwing our weight against the door and I grabbed some kind of metal pipe, shoving it against the door and knowing it wouldn't hold for long.

"Shift! Now!" I yelled, feeling them hit the door, starting to shift into something heavier to hold the door.

"What about-"

"Just hurry!" I snapped with the last of my mouth, which was soon replaced with the muzzle of a gorilla.

I saw her nod, closing her eyes and seeing a silver ripple go through her body. Some stupid part of my mind realised this was the first time I'd ever see her shift, but the rest of me was too focused on now holding the door, which was getting slammed by heavy bodies.

I watched in amazement as she shrunk, then her skin started to become patterned, her clothes starting to melt into her now forming feathers, seeing her nose and mouth melt together and harden, pushing out to become the small beak of the barn owl.

Soon she was done, and opened her wings, flapping them hard. I half wondered if she knew how to-

(Come on Jade!)

Okay, I guess she did know how to thought speak.

(Get out of range of the door!) I tried to jam the flimsy metal pipe as hard as I could up against the door again, turning and lumbering towards the edge of the building, shifting awkwardly as I went, hearing the door slam open behind me, shots being fired at my still shifting form.

I felt one hit my leg, crying out as I hit the ledge of the building, tipping over it and starting to fall.

(Jade!) I heard Serah scream, but I was already shifting the last of me, opening my wings just before the ground and shooting upwards, the wound forgotten as I scraped the wall a little, seeing Serah floating over another rooftop not far form us, seeing the controllers-

(Serah, go!) I yelled, flying past her and wishing I could just push her little birdy butt to move.

I knew she was following me, instinctively ducking a little as shots started to go past us.

We were sitting ducks out here!

(Serah, DIVE!) I yelled, tucking my wings in and heading between two buildings. I saw her dive with me, out of the corner of my-

(AAAAAAH!) A sudden piercing scream, and I turned to see her now falling, angling my wings and grabbing her as best I could, trying to slow her fall, but her scream made it hard to concentrate as we crashed through a window, both of us tumbling away from one another. I felt my little birdy wing snap and I groaned in pain.

(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!) Serah's ear curling scream cut through any thought or feeling I had, almost shattering what was left of my mind.

(Serah, stop) I tried to say, barely even hearing myself as she continued to scream. Something finally clicked, and I realised why she was screaming so loudly.

(Serah, you need to shift!)

(OHGODJADEITHURTS!) She screamed again, and I managed to sit up, hobbling my way over to where she was flailing around helplessly.

(I know, I know, but you need to shift... you need to become you, and when you do it'll go away)

(I...I...I...)

(Serah, that's an order!) I finally snapped, starting to shift back, hoping it would show her what I meant. She looked up at me with scared little owl eyes, watching me intently as I finally completed my shift, moving to pick her up.

(OOWWW! IT HURTS!)

"I know it does, now come on!"

She continued to whine in thoughtspeak, and I heard a thump from outside the door, then a thudding as what sounded like footsteps came up the stairs, looking around and trying to find somewhere to hide. If Serah didn't-

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Before I could move, a horrible explosion rocked the earth, making me stumble with Serah still in my hands. My knee hit the carpet, in an effort to stay upright and keep Serah safe, looking outside...

And caught the start of an entire building starting to collapse near us.

 _ **x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Hmm, what shall happen now? Only I know!  
**_

 _ **And as always, constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	5. Saving Ithiell

**Chapter 5  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

Even Serah fell partially silent as we both watched the massive building crumble and seem to collapse under its own weight. The top of the building seemed to break away, starting to fall separately on its own, and at that moment I heard something that would have been almost comical if it wasn't for the situation we were in.

(Oh crap oh crap oh-not this way!)

It was Ithiell, and I heard a sharp yelp from him as the rest of the building finally hit the ground, hearing the horrendous crash and seeing a dust cloud rising from the ground.

The footsteps outside the door suddenly took off, and I didn't dare move until I knew for sure that they were gone, putting Serah down and hearing her cry out again.

"Serah, I know it hurt, but you _have_ to focus!"

(O-o-o-o-kay) Came her shaky response, and slowly I saw the changes begin, a million things running through my mind as I watched her shift.

Ithiell, was he okay? What the _heck_ had happened out there?!

I felt myself start to panic a little as Serah finally completed her shift, looking scared and shaky.

And what I was going to suggest wouldn't make her feel any better.

"Thanks Ja-" She stopped when I grabbed her shoulders, probably a little too roughly, looking straight into her eyes.

"Ser, I think Ithiell is in trouble. Whatever just happened... I need to find him"

"You? But I'm-"

"Serah, I need you to stay here. There is no sense in both of us going"

"But Ithiell needs us!"

"Serah, if you get hurt again..." I trailed off, seeing tears start to well in her eyes, but I knew she understood.

"Okay, so what's the smallest shift you can do?"

"Uh, my mom taught me-"

At that moment my communicator flashed again, and I tapped it, seeing Donnie's face again on the screen, this time seeing Rtaia behind him.

"Jade, Ithiell's device just went haywire! I think-"

"Yeah, I heard him cry out. Don't worry, I got this"

I saw him frown a little, then Rtaia stepped forward.

"Jade, will you need assist-"

"No, no one else comes out. I already have Serah out here to worry about. I don't want anyone else"

Rtaia didn't look happy, but then I added "If I need help, I'll call. I promise"

"You'd better" Donnie's eyes narrowed a little, before a look of sadness and worry crossed his face.

"Take care Jade"

I tried to smile a little at him "I will. See you soon my love"

With that, I cut communication, looking up at a now worried Serah.

"You, shift into the smallest thing you can, and hide"

With that, I shifted back into an owl, taking off through the shattered window.

-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-

(Ithiell!) I called again, and again there was no answer as I floated above the ruined buildings. Yes, plural. The very top of the first building that fell had crashed hard into the one next to it, a large section of the other building was knocked away, and I could see the small offices inside that were now exposed to the open air. It was destruction to the maximum, and I didn't even know how Ithiell had done it, or whether he had even managed to do this.

If he had done this, then... why?

I half hoped he hadn't done a Jake and completely and utterly lost it, and this was some kind of 'revenge' plan, that had gone awry.

Where are you Ithiell?

I managed to get to the second building, flaring and landing on what was left of one of the top floors, looking down at the still crumbling remains below me. I watched as controllers crawled over the wreckage, and I could have sworn I saw a glimpse of April leading them, but she disappeared out of sight before I could find out.

(Come on Ithiell) I called out again, moving away from the opening so the controllers couldn't see me, shifting into a Jinnaw and looking around what was left of the destroyed building. It was a shame I didn't have anything of his to sniff, knowing if I did, I would be able to find him alot easier.

(If you can hear me, I'm in the half destroyed building next to what I'm guessing is the one you blew up. Come find me Ithiell, please!) I tried one last time, hoping that he wasn't in that building when it fell. If he had...

I hated to think of-

"You idiots!" I heard a new voice scream from below me, and I chanced to look down, surprised to see Visser One of all people there, her gaze at what I thought was Visser Two "What the hell happened to the main labs!"

"Visser One, we-"

"No, no more excuses!" She growled "You _will_ find it, and _NOW_ , otherwise you _will_ end up just like Visser Three did!"

Visser Three? Come to think of it, we hadn't heard anything from him for-

"Yes Visser One!" I saw Visser Two almost salute Visser One sarcastically, and I heard a huff, then saw her walking off.

Well, at least now I knew why the building got targeted. Ithiell must have found these...main labs...and taken the whole thing out.

But that just left more questions! What the hell were they looking for?

I started to move away from the edge, half running towards what I hoped was a stairwell, keeping myself on high alert as I moved through this building.

I started to awkwardly head down the stairs, instead just oping to jump, landing with a small thud.

"I heard somethin"

Oh crap.

"Where?"

"This way"

I stood stock still, seeing lights at the end of the hallway I was now in, open doors everywhere but none I could get to quickly. Instead, I tried to flatten myself a little against the wall next to me, hoping my dark fur would help keep me unseen in the shadows.

To my surprise, the lights moved over me, then into a room at the other end of the hall, and from what I could see there were at least five of them, two being Hork Bajir. I breathed a small sigh of relief, hearing them crashing around in some big office, slowly starting to creep towards the door they had gone into.

"This way!" Suddenly one of them yelled, and I jumped a little, freezing in my spot as I watched the group thunder out of that office, and into the one opposite from them. Part of me wondered if they were blind... I was so-

"There!" A shot was fired, and a yell, and suddenly the room lit up with shots and screams.

I dove into the room, going for the closest controller, taking him down in one quick movement, breaking his neck with a jerk of my strong jaw. A Hork-Bajir controller turned to look at me as I grabbed his arm with my teeth, worrying it like a dog with a bone, finally feeling him throw me off and hitting the floor hard.

Before he could bring his weapon around I was up again, coiling my legs and leaping with all the strength I had, straight onto him. I latched my teeth around his throat, feeling him cut my flank with one of his blades as he stumbled back, eventually collapsing with me still on him.

I let out a deep growl as he cut again, but I was determined to hold on, clamping my jaw as tight as I could around his throat. Finally, he started to weaken, and his arms dropped.

I finished him of, then turning to the last three, and between them...

Well, Ithiell was in a kind of tug of war with the other Hork-Bajir, and I could see him start to loose. He whacked a human controller off with his tail, but the other one was aiming to shoot the Dracon beam she had-

(ITHIELL!) I yelled, pouncing on the controller and knocking the gun off her. Her mouth started to open in a warning, but before anything came out I hit her head hard, surprised when I heard a snap, and she dropped, thudding to the floor. Her head was now at a weird angle to her body...

"A little-ah!" Ithiell was knocked to the floor finally by the Hork-Bajir, and I spun, heading straight for the him, leaping onto his back and digging my claws in. He screamed incoherently, throwing himself backwards.

(Oomph!) My back hit the wall, almost letting go but instinctively digging my claws in deeper, hearing my opponent scream again, my back once again being slammed into the wall.

I heard a shot ring out, hoping the other controller hadn't gotten the upper hand on Ithiell.

I got slammed into the wall again, unconsciously letting go and seeing the big guy turn on me.

But I was on him, claws in and scratching and biting until he hit the floor, lifeless.

I turned to see Ithiell, a gun aimed at the last controller, seeing a large hole burnt straight through his middle, his body lifeless. Ithiell himself seemed to have collapsed onto the floor, almost sitting against the other wall of the office, his breathing coming out heavy.

(Ithiell!) I dove over to him, skidding to a stop in front of him and seeing he was in worse shape than I thought. There were cuts and bruises everywhere, and I shifted back to see what I could do, seeing the side of his head was also bleeding a little.

"Thanks...Jade" He took a deep breath as he dropped the weapon, and I took my jacket off to rip at it, making small strips of cloth I could use.

"What the hell happened to you?" I snapped a little without meaning to, starting to wrap his wounds as he sighed a little.

"The Yeerks" He tried to joke, but I glared at him, watching as he closed his eyes and leaned back, letting me take care of him. I knew none of this would matter as we would need to shift to get out of here, but right now it was giving us an excuse to rest for the moment.

"Ithiell, I saw that building go down..." I trailed off, hoping he would fill in the blanks for me, and not be such a smartass little alien.

"Yeah, well I was doing recon, and just happened to follow a controller to this building, which I actually found to be a massive set of labs. I'm not sure what they were experimenting on, but from the sounds of it, whatever they had was big"

"Big how?"

"Like... they had a large cage in the middle of the building kind of big"

"Uh... "

"I know"

"Ithiell, I saw... they're looking for something out there. And... they're pretty desperate"

"Hmm" His eyes met mine, both of us sharing the same thought.

"Okay, so... how did you blow an entire building without any equipment?"

That's when he tried to smile, instead it looking more like a grimace, which worried me.

"Well, it was easy... considering this place was already rigged to be blown up"

"Wait...what?"

"Yeah, it confused me too. But hey, who am I to argue with good luck?"

"Why... was it to stop the creature from escaping? If that's the case..."

"Why wouldn't they have done it already?"

Then it hit me.

"Visser One. She was... I saw her. She must have been in that building when that creature got loose. And... well, no one's going to blow up something while she's inside..."

"Since she has this uncanny ability to survive anything?" Ithiell supplied, half smirking and shaking his head a little.

"Yeah, that too" I wiped the sweat from my forehead, looking around at the room at the dead bodies and destruction.

"I think we should get back home"

I nodded, then blushed a little "Uh, Ithiell?"

"Uh?"

"We may need to get Serah first"

"What? Serah-"His eyes narrowed at me then "So that's who I heard screaming..."

"So... you heard her too?"

He frowned, then grunted as I helped him up.

"She must not know how to focus her thought speak yet"

"Could she-"

He shook his head "No, but where is she? Is she safe? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, shes in a building not far from us. I told her to shift into something small-"

We heard a horrendous crash in the hallway then, and I half sat Ithiell on the desk, starting to shift-

(Uh, hey guys? Anyone home?)

I think we both let out a small sigh as I completed my shift, finally able to answer Marco.

(We're down the hall, on the right)

(Okay, good) I saw him lumber into the room, taking a look around, then seeing Ithiell.

(Wow, you okay Ithiell?) He asked, and Ithiell made a small sound.

(How did you know we were here?)

(Easy. Followed the big boom and the building going splat)

(Oh. Have you seen Rachel?)

He nodded his big gorilla head (Sure have. She found Serah, and they're both heading home)

I sighed a little, feeling weariness set in as I turned to Ithiell. He had a look of determination on his face.

"Let's get home. I think we have alot to talk about"

(You got that right) I muttered, not knowing what the others would think about the news I had to give them.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Sorry this chapter wasn't that long guys, either way, I hope you liked it anyway! :D**

 **Please let me know!**


	6. Battle Scars

**Chapter 6  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I honestly felt like I'd slapped everyone in the room. The looks on all their faces...

Raphael sat down heavily, putting his head in his hands, and Rachel quietly went to him, sitting beside him and putting an hand gently on his arm. The other turtles didn't look much better.

April meant the world to them. And now...

Now she was the face of our enemy.

"I still can't believe you left Jake there" Marco shook his head, but the look on his face almost betrayed his words. He looked... almost relieved.

"Well he didn't give me much choice" I half pointed to my neck, feeling Rtaia push my hand away as she looked me over. Thankfully, Serah hadn't been hurt again on the way back, and her mother had taken her out of the main room and into what we now called the sick bay, probably to both check her over and to tell her off for being so reckless. She could have been killed...

"That idiot can take care of himself for once... still can't believe how reckless he was" Ithiell almost growled, managing to sit up and grimacing a little.

"Here" Rtaia gave Donnie, who was on the other side of me, a salve she pulled from her small medical bag, before going over to start taking care of Ithiell.

"Lean back" Donnie instructed, and I moved my head back, now staring at the ceiling as Donnie gently applied the salve onto my bruised neck.

"So... what do we do now?" I heard Rachel ask as Raph grunted beside her. I heard Leo sigh.

"Ithiell, do you have any idea what they're looking for?"

Ithiell made a short grunt, then "I wish I knew. I didn't get time to properly go through their computers. I almost got caught, but found myself next to an explosive device. I followed the wires and... well you know the rest"

"Well, it sounds like they do not have plans to blow up the city until they find this creature" Rtaia said, and I heard Ithiell groan a little at something she was doing.

"Okay, done" Donnie said, and I looked at him, smiling and putting a hand over his. He tried to smile back, but I knew the news of April had hit him just as hard as it hit his brothers and Splinter.

I put an arm around the back of his shell, both of us looking back at Ithiell and the others.

"So... what do we do then?"

"I suggest we attempt to find this creature before they do, and see if perhaps this is a creature that may help us"

"I'm with her" Marco jabbed a thumb at Rtaia.

"How are we going to find it, when they have all those controllers?" Cassie spoke up, looking at each of us. Her eyes rested on me for longer than they should have, and I could have sworn I saw a look of almost anger in them, before turning back to the conversation.

Maybe I was just paranoid...

"Kristiana, did you hear about any... unusual creature... when you were..." Leo trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed.

She hummed and put her head down, seeming to think for a minute before shaking her head a little.

"There isn't anything specific that stands out. The only thing I can remember is some rumor about a creature that was causing the Yeerks grief a year or so back on another planet, but I don't even know if that's related"

(I do not remember hearing anything about a creature of any kind) Ax seemed almost annoyed.

(Could be they thought you were too young, or the Andalites didn't know about it themselves) Tobias supplied, shifting a little on his perch near where Cassie and Kristiana were.

We all fell silent, Ithiell only occasionally making a noise or two as Rtaia used her medicines. I think we were all still taking in all this new information.

Could we save the city? If they wanted this creature so badly-

"Only one way now"

We all turned to looked at Ithiell, who now looked determined, in spite of all Rtaia's poking and prodding.

"We need to get my fighter back up and running"

"But it's only-"

"I know, but if I can get it working, I can get into the city and scan for any unusual life signs. I've installed a cloaking device from what Jade and Donnie salvaged from one of the Bug fighters, so we should be able to get in and out without a problem"

"But... how long will that take? You can't really think we're going to let you work with those injuries"

He shook his head, smiling at me a little.

"No, you're all going to help me. Together"

"Then let's get going" Raph finally spoke up, looking at each of us.

"The sooner we get this happening, the sooner we can get April back"

Leo nodded "Agreed. Let's do this"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Teams were sent out, each consisting of one turtle and one Animorph, to look for anything we could use to finish off the fighter. Ithiell had given each of them a list of sorts to look out for, and had made sure they could stay in contact with him while they were out, all the turtles wearing the headgear that Donnie and Ithiell had originally fashioned for them. Ithiell himself would wear his own headset, while the rest of us helped to work on the fighter. The turtles would be carrying the equipment, while the Animorphs would help rip off or grab whatever they could and as fast as they could.

Unfortunately for Rtaia, Ithiell had insisted on getting back to work immediately, and there was nothing more she could do besides be by him as he worked away with the rest of us.

Cassie was the only one of the Animorphs left behind, and I wasn't sure if she was upset or she didn't care about it too much, but she kept herself busy by keeping an eye on Splinter as he helped us.

"All right, that over... no no, not like that" Ithiell moved around to where Serah was, and I noticed the more Ithiell took over and tried to show her what to do, the more upset she seemed to get.

"Here, this part goes in this way, and then you... clip that to.. and..." Ithiell had obviously noticed as well, and was trying to be as gentle as possible, but I also knew he wanted to get the fighter in the air as soon as possible. There was no time for hesitation, as much as I hated to admit it.

"Sorry Ithiell" I saw tears in her eyes as he worked next to her, trying to keep moving on putting my part in, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

"Nothing to be sorry for. You didn't know, and I could-"

"Hey Ithiell, could you come here for a minute?" I interrupted him, deliberately grabbing the wrong tool and waving him over.

"Oh, sure Jade" He patted Serah on the shoulder, then came over to me, looking strangely at the tool I was trying to put the part on with.

"What-" I grabbed Ithiell as soon as he got to me, pulling him up next to me as I saw Serah turn away to look at the little part Ithiell had put in.

"Ithiell" I hissed.

"Jade" He responded.

"Serah isn't handling any of this very well"

He sighed, closing his eyes before looking at me "I know. I'm not sure what to do to help her, but I can't-"

"Maybe...maybe I can take a few minutes and talk to her"

He looked at me, those big eyes almost sad, before nodding.

"Go, I'll get Mihra to install some of the parts I asked her to install"

With that, Ithiell went off to talk to Mihra, and I went and sat next to Serah.

"Hey Ser"

"Oh, hey Jade" She tried to wipe the tears away as she saw me, but I put a hand on her arm.

"Come on, let's take a walk"

"But Ithiell needs me to-"

"It's okay, I told him I needed your help with something. Now... come on" I half hauled her up off the floor, heading to the entrance of the base, both of us going outside into what was now starting to become early morning. I could hear the birds starting to chirp and call out to one another. Leaves rustled around us as the forest started to wake up to the new day.

"So... what do you need help with?" She asked finally after a few minutes.

"Nothing, I just figured you needed to get out for a little"

She looked strangely at me, but then shook her head and continued to walk.

We walked in silence for a for more minutes, before I finally gathered up the courage to speak again.

"Serah, are you all right?"

She looked at me, forcing a smile and looking like she was about to tell me she was, when her smile cracked and tears started to slide down her face.

I grabbed her, pulling her towards me and wrapping her in a tight hug, which she returned after a few seconds, digging her head into my shoulder and sobbing uncontrollably.

I tried to say something soothing, but instead I just tried to hush her like you would a little child, patting her back and just letting her cry, knowing she probably needed to let it out. Her first real experience in the middle of a firefight hadn't really been the best one...

Then again, how could you make any first experience like that good?

I remembered my first experience, ten years old... screaming and trying to avoid getting chopped in two... then the pain as claws had cut into me...

I knew, the pain of being shot at, was so much worse though. And she'd been shot in the sky. If I hadn't been there...

Well, I didn't want to even think what would have happened to my friend if I hadn't.

Slowly, her tears subsided, and she was finally able to pull away, looking down at me and sniffling.

"Thanks Jade. I just..."

She tried to wipe her tears away with the sleeve of her jacket, sucking in a deep breath before continuing.

"I just didn't think it was that painful. And then... I just..."

"Hey, it's okay. Being shot hurts _alot_ , take it from me" I tried to joke, but the look on her face made me regret it.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Fight. Be hurt and still be able to... I mean, I was _useless_ when..."

"You weren't useless-"

"Yes I was!" She snapped, turning and starting to walk away from me, but I grabbed her arm, stopping her. The look on her face... she looked truly terrified.

I took a deep breath, composing myself and thinking of my words carefully before I spoke.

"Being in battle doesn't always mean to get to be a hero, and you don't come out without battle scars. Physically, emotionally... it affects everyone differently. And being shot at, or cut, or burnt... it _hurts_ , and alot. Especially the first time it happens. There is no getting away from it, but you have a choice when you're in the middle of a firefight, when that happens"

She just looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"You either lay there, or you keep fighting. And me? As much as it hurts and as much as I want to just give up sometimes, I choose... I choose to keep fighting, and if I have to... I'll go down that way"

The look on her face was now blank. When she didn't say anything, I continued.

"Ser, think of it this way. This is your first battle scar in a sense. Yeah, it hurt you, and yeah, you freaked out... and everyone does... but you survived, and you did well to get back here"

"I just... " She looked down, tears forming in her eyes again "I don't think I'm cut out for any of this. For war..."

I shook my head "I know, and I'm sorry you have to go through or this. It's horrible and scary and I know it all seems like a burden, but..."

I was about to tell her she didn't have a choice, but I felt that was just too mean to say.

"Look Serah, every person... every little bit helps. And even if you and I don't fight side by side, I'm sure there is plenty of other things you can do. Just... don't give up on yourself so easily. You are alot stronger than you think"

She suddenly let out a strangled laugh, and I moved a little back from her.

"Gosh Jade, six months ago my life was all about clothes and boys and school... and now, look at us"

I frowned "I know, but-"

"And look at you! Gosh... my little tomboy best friend" She let out in a sob, then continued "All this time, I didn't know what you had to go through...for half your life..."

I shook my head, going to say something, but she put her hand up, stopping me. Tears were still sliding down her cheeks, and her expression was somewhere between hurt and happy.

"When I first met you, I had no idea what you were. I just... I wanted to make you feel comfortable, since you looked so lost and confused. And your accent... I thought it was fantastic by the way! But... no, I'm getting off topic" She let out another strangled little laugh, suddenly grabbing my shoulder and pulling me towards her, then putting her arms around me and hugging me tightly.

"I'm so proud of my gorgeous little tomboy! You've gone through hell and you're still a fantastic person"

"Uh, thanks?" Was all I could get out.

"I'll wear my first... whatever you called it... and I'll try harder, I promise"

A shuffling in the trees near us suddenly had us both on alert, the look on Serah's face told me she wasn't ready for another confrontation.

"Stay behind-"

We both jumped, Serah letting out a shriek as two figures emerged from the trees.

"Friggen hell Leo!" I snapped, slapping his shell as I realised the other figure was Ax.

"Sorry, I didn't know you two girls-"

"Nevermind, let's all just get back. I kind of have a headache"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The day passed quickly, and I was surprised how much more we all got done working together. The hull of the ship was almost complete, thanks to what the turtles and Animorphs had been able to salvage, and now we mostly just had to do alot of small fiddly stuff, according to Ithiell.

Eventually, we all decided we needed a rest, having something to eat before everyone retired for the night.

I managed to get a few hours sleep in, before my brain just wouldn't let me sleep any more. So I lay there, staring at Donnie for a while. When I couldn't go back to sleep, I decided Donnie needed to be awake with me for a little while.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind the wake up call, and soon we were laying beside each other again, slightly out of breath but happier, and more relaxed.

"Cheeky" Was all he got out. I smiled up at him, then leaned over and kissed his nose, rolling myself onto my stomach and resting my elbows on the bed, then my head on my palms.

"You were yummy"

He blushed a little it seemed, shaking his head and moving to kiss my shoulder "No, you are"

"You didn't seem to mind when I-" He stopped me talking by capturing my lips with his, making me hum instead.

We broke the kiss, and I couldn't help but touch his cheek, rubbing it a little as he moved into my touch.

"Feels good, after so long..."

I frowned a little "I know. I'm sorry... I hope you didn't think-"

He shook his head "Never. I know you love me. I just had to wait until you were ready to come back"

I felt tears spring to my eyes again, suddenly realising how hard it must have been on him. To have me flip out, cry, scream...

I'd pulled away from him for so long, not giving him any affection I know he wanted. And now... here we were. Being intimate. Just him and me...

Donnie surprised me by smiling suddenly, turning and grabbing his glasses, putting them on.

"Now, I want to remember this-" He gently pushed my shoulder, making me roll over as he moved to lay right beside me, propping himself up on one elbow as the other hand pushed a strand of hair back from my eyes. His expression made me think he was up to something.

"Remember what?" I managed to ask, feeling as his hand slowly crept down my neck, tracing over my shoulder before going down my left arm, pushing the sheet that was covering me away.

"Donnie!" I tried to cover myself a little, but he shook his head. He was definitely up to something!

"Just looking" Was his defense, as he trailed a finger down my side, then up onto my stomach, suddenly stopping and resting just below the scar that was there. His expression changed a little.

"What's wrong?" I looked down at the scar myself, watching as he traced the scar with his fingers, giving me goosebumps.

"This scar..."

"Yeah, you've seen my scars before. What about them?"

"I've just never asked you how you got them all"

I looked up into those big, sweet green eyes of his, and he smiled a little. I knew what he was asking. Just... without really asking.

"This one..." I moved my hand over where he was still trailing the scar, stopping his hand from moving any more "I got from one of my first battles. It was a female Terinan, and their claws are poisonous. She cut me pretty deep..."

"I can see" His hand started to move again, getting out from under mine and landing at another scar at my hip.

"I hesitated in battle. Terinan almost cut me in two"

His hand moved around, then onto my shoulder, almost moving me so he could get to some of the scars on my back. He landed on my shoulder blade, and I could feel the small indent.

"Half shifted, and I got stabbed by one of those blades. It was lucky my internal organs were shifted, otherwise that may have been a fatal one"

He hummed, continuing to move down my legs as I told him the story of each scar, and how I got it.

Finally, he turned me back over and his hand landed on the newest scar of mine. His fingers once again traced it, looking up at me again.

"You know about that one" I said "Dagger in the thigh, Visser One's madness"

He looked a little upset then, moving to kiss my forehead.

"Don't tell me you still feel guilty" I looked up at him, our faces now just inches apart. He shook his head.

"No, I just wanted to hear you tell me"

"Um..."

"I can tell, it doesn't hurt you anymore. It used to"

Now he had me. I hadn't even realised-

He kissed me again, his arms now going around me and pulling me towards him. I put my arms around him, breaking the kiss and just enjoying being so close to him.

"So... what'd you think of all my stories?"

"Hmm" Was all he responded with, holding me as tight as he dared.

"Come on smelly" I finally said, pulling away from him and going to sit up "Let's go for a shower while we can"

"But..."

I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow and seeing it click in his head.

"Oh" He muttered, rolling onto the other side of the bed and getting up as well. I couldn't help but laugh at my little clueless turtle.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I stepped out of the bathroom, fully clothed, using the towel I had been using for my hair to start drying the edge of Donnie's shell. He went to push my hands away a little, but I persisted, and instead he just picked me up facing him, making me wrap my legs around his middle as I focused on my task. His arms went around my back, starting to walk towards our room, but then stopped suddenly.

"Bub?" I asked, and he hushed me, moving us over to the tunnel that lead out towards the hanger. It was then I picked up voices as well.

He started to creep down the tunnel, both of us now picking up the voices more clearly.

"That wasn't a very-"Leo started to say, but Serah interrupted him.

"I know, I know. Mom went off at me already okay? I don't need _you_ to as well"

"You know I just..." Leo trailed off, and that's when we reached the small set of stairs, finding Donnie slipping me down to the ground quietly, and we both moved down them, then went to peek around the corner. I felt Donnie almost leaning on me as we saw what I thought was a cute sight.

Serah and Leo were standing face to face, Leo's hand on her shoulder. He seemed genuinely concerned, and she was half pouting up at him like she usually did when she didn't want to be lectured.

"Leo, I didn't know what it was like. I thought I could handle it, but... but then I got hurt...and it _hurt_... and I got really scared..."

"I know" To I think both our surprise, Leo actually pulled Serah into a hug, and I heard her sigh a little.

"Serah, I was so worried when I couldn't find you"

"You...were?" Serah managed to move away enough to look up at him, and he nodded.

"I thought something bad might have happened... and then I saw you with Jade and I... well, I didn't know what to think"

"You were really worried about... me?"

I heard Leo let out a throaty laugh, looking down at her and shaking his head.

"I don't know why you think I wouldn't be"

She went to move away, but Leo gently touched her arm, and she stopped.

"Serah, I... I care about you alot. I..."

"And I care about you too Leo... I mean... alot more than I should"

Now it was Leo's turn to be confused. Serah finally turned around to him, her eyes wide and bright.

"Leo, I like you. Like... really like you. You are like, absolutely incredible! I mean, you have such a passion, and you are so kind and sweet..." She trailed off, then looking down at her feet, almost annoyed it seemed.

"Serah, I-"

"But... I know you had that big crush on Jade, and-"

I almost let out a squeak if it wasn't for Donnie covering my mouth when he had, both of us watching in shock and awe as Leo gently grabbed Serah's face under the chin, lifting it up and pressing his lips against hers. The other arm pulled her close, and she let out a noise of surprise, before melding into the kiss.

I wanted to jump up and down for joy, but knowing it would ruin the moment they were having. Serah had finally told him how she felt, and Leo had responded like I hoped he would!

We both watched as they pulled away from each other, smiling.

"Serah, I like you too... alot more than I should. You are funny, smart, are always around when I need someone to talk to, and... well..."

He suddenly laughed, shaking his head a little.

"I never thought you would ever see me like that. After all, I am just a turtle"

"No!" She slapped his chest, making him jump back a little.

"What?"

"You are _not_ just a turtle! You're Leo! And I...and I..."

She suddenly rushed forward, capturing his face in her hands and catching him by surprise as she kissed him passionately.

Soon he relaxed into the kiss, pulling her close again.

As their kiss got deeper, I felt Donnie's other arm wrap around my waist, picking me up and turning around to creep back up the hallway.

I didn't need ask why, and he didn't need to explain himself. We both knew it was time to leave the two new lovebirds alone.

 _ **x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **EEEE! CUTENESS!  
**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	7. Teasing Serah

**Chapter 7  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

No one else but Donnie was awake with me the next morning as I sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping on my tea as Donnie shuffled around the kitchen, making himself a coffee.

After a few more hours of drifting in and out of sleep, I found that both Donnie and I were getting restless. So we decided to get up, and get our day started earlier than normal. My tea and his coffee, which I'd found he had become slightly addicted to, was just a normal every day thing for us. Just... with the others usually. I found it was very... quiet, without the others coming in and out of the kitchen.

"I wonder if Ithiell will let me add some extra programs I've designed into the interface for the-" Donnie was talking quickly and excitedly, as he sat down next to me, but I put a hand up, stopping him.

"You know the rules my love. Tea first, then talk"

"You should have coffee"

I pulled a face at him, hearing him laugh, then snort a little. I couldn't help but giggle at him.

"You're lucky I love you so much" He retorted.

I stuck my tongue out at him in response, and he snort laughed again, making me giggle again.

"Oh, you-" He went to move to tickle me, stopping when we both realised we weren't alone any more.

We both turned to the entrance, seeing Serah stumbling in, looking disheveled and a little lost as she half bumped into the counter, moving her way around it to go to the fridge. Her hair was sticking up and just everywhere, and she was wearing a large shirt that obviously wasn't hers, and I could see a hint of a pink pair of underwear just under the hem.

Seems like she'd forgotten to put on a pair of pants this morning...

"Um" Donnie instantly tensed, looking at me, then suddenly finding something fascinating in his coffee. I patted his arm, turning and watching as Serah backed out of the fridge, shutting the door and rubbing her eye a little.

"Can't find something Ser?" I said, watching as she jolted a little, looking at myself, then at Donnie.

"Oh, hi... I uh... didn't..." That's when I think she realised what she was wearing, pulling down at the big shirt and blushing.

"Sorry guys" She hid her lower half behind the counter, then slid along it to where the fresh pot of coffee was.

"So... where'd you get the big t shirt?" I started, seeing Donnie send me a look, but I ignored him. He knew where I was going.

"Oh, uh... from the stash of clothes Ithiell still had around the... uh... I mean, I got this ages ago so I could sleep in. I just... forgot to-" She was pouring herself a cup of coffee, but her face was bright red as she tried to talk her way around it.

"Are you suuure about that?" I asked slyly, feeling Donnie's hand now on my leg, squeezing a little. I ignored him, knowing this was the only chance I'd get to pay her back for all those times she embarrassed me... and I wasn't going to let it slip by.

"Uh, yeah, why?" She now leaned on the counter, still looking embarrassed as she cupped the mug that was on the bench in both hands.

"Well, you look pretty wrecked. What happened to you last night? Get in a fight with a bear or something?" I grinned at her again, seeing her avert her eyes as she took a sip of coffee. I felt Donnie squeeze again, this time a little harder.

I looked up at him as he shifted his glasses up, giving me a warning look. Instead, I shook my head and smiled at him.

"Well... I uh... had a bad dream" She tried to pat her hair down a little with one hand, half looking to the door with the other.

"Would that bad dream be called... Leo" I let out in a giggle, and her head snapped to look at me.

"How did you, I mean... I don't know what you're talking about" She said hurriedly, looking away at the last few words and doing what Donnie did a few minutes earlier with his coffee. Must have seen the future in there or something, cause she was transfixed...

"Oh come on, I know you like him, and he likes you"

"So what does that have to do with it?" She looked up at me again, and I pointed at her, crying out in triumph.

"Ah-ha! I knew it!"

I'd known it last night, but I figured Donnie didn't want her to know we'd been watching, so I played coy.

"Knew what?"

"You like him, and he likes you"

"Well yeah, but-"

"So what reaaaally happened last night, hmmm" I leaned forward, resting my chin in my palms and smiling at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Was he good? Did he rock your world?"

The look on her face was priceless, and just made up for all times she'd done it to me. It also confirmed what we had already guessed.

I heard Donnie grumble something as Serah sighed, rubbing her temple with one hand.

"Why Jade?"

"Cause I love you oh so much, and just want to see you happy" I said, getting up and moving around beside her, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at me, and I nudged her a little.

"Plus, paybacks a bitch, aint it!" I jumped away from her as I said this, hearing her yelp and start to chase me around the kitchen.

-x-x-x-xx-x-x-xx-xx-x-x-x-

I tightened the last bolt I was working on, pulling myself out from under the fighter and looking wiping the sweat of my forehead with my sleeve.

Another day had passed, and after the others got more parts for the fighter, we were all going full tilt at finishing it. Surprisingly, Rtaia and Mihra had been able to help direct us to how things should be connected, which I think helped relieve some of the stress for Ithiell.

I saw Mikey with Raph up the top, helping him weld something in place, both of them looking almost like serial killers with the welders masks on.

Splinter was using his tail to hand some more small parts to Rtaia and Kristiana, who were still underneath the fighter, not far from where I had been. Cassie and Marco were doing something on the other side, and Ax was going over something outside the fighter with Mihra. They were both looking at something that looked like a clipboard, only more... alien. Rachel was looking over the side of the fighter for any cracks it looked like. Either that or she just had nothing to do.

Serah and Leo still hadn't joined us, and I half wondered if my playful banter with Serah earlier had made them too upset or angry to come out. Either that or...

I shuddered a little, not wanting the image in my head as I walked up the hatch and into the fighter where Donnie and Ithiell were working together.

"See, I just improved the input of-"

"Oh, very nice, but what if we used a-"

"Hmm, maybe, but wouldn't that decrease the output of the engines at-"

"You two are doing my head in" I stood beside them, watching as they worked on the half completed console, seeing they'd gotten some of the screens working.

"Hello to you too" Ithiell didn't take his eyes off what he was doing, his claws flying over the controls as Donnie occasionally tapped something here or there as he stood beside him, his eyes narrowed.

"Hey there, how'd you sleep?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"So, not good" I answered for him, going and trying to work out what he was doing. I could feel my shirt half sticking to me, knowing I'd probably need a shower later on.

"Well... we haven't heard from Jake, and that troubles me a little"

"He's probably too afraid to show his face after almost killing-"

"Whoa whoa, settle petal" I moved over to Donnie, putting my hands on his chest as he tensed a little. He looked down at me, the anger on his face dissipating when his eyes met mine, frowning instead.

"No getting mad. That's my job... if he ever comes back"

"Donnie could be right you know" Ithiell spoke up, finally looking up at the two of us.

"Donnie? Right? Oh no!" I feigned shock, tapping his chest a little and making him shake his head at me.

"If Jake has realised what he has actually done... tried to kill someone that is actually on his side... Jade or not... then it is possible he understands that the consequences of coming back here would be pretty dire"

"Yeah, like I'd-"

"Settle down ninja nerd" I put my hands on his chest again, pushing him a little backwards.

"Ha, good one Jade! Ninja Nerd!" Mikey's head popped down from the roof for a few seconds, before he yelped as I heard Raph grunt something, obviously dragging him back up to whatever he was meant to be helping with. Thankfully, Mikey's distraction seemed to have calmed Donnie down a little.

"Uh, hey guys" I jumped a little as Leo walked into the fighter, with Serah almost timidly following him.

"Hey bro-ow!" I heard Mikey yelp from above us, then "Quit it Mikey!"

"Hey Leo, late night"

"Or early morning?" I managed to giggle, hearing Donnie make a strange sound.

I shared a look with Serah, who blushed more.

"Uh, you could say that?" Leo eyed me strangely, sharing a look with Donnie, who just sighed, moving around me to continue what he was doing with Ithiell.

Serah came up to me, half looping her arm through mine and whispering in my ear "Do you _have_ to keep trying to embarrass me?"

"Yes, yes I do" I replied, giving her the biggest grin I could as she turned to look at me, a little shocked. Not far from us, Leo was talking to Donnie and Ithiell on their progress.

"Why can't you just drop it? I mean... come on"

I looked at her, cocking my head to my side a little, still smiling "Did you? Heck, did _anyone_?"

She frowned, then sighed, shrugging her shoulders "Okay, you got a point there"

We turned back to the boys, seeing Leo nod, turning around and seeing the two of us.

"Hey" He did a little wave to me, then smiled and winked at Serah, before leaving the fighter.

"Now, where were we" Ithiell's hands went back to tapping away, Donnie standing beside him and starting to hum at what he was going.

"All right you, come here" I yanked her out of the fighter, then back up the hallway and into the main room, so no one else could hear us.

"All right, spill" I finally said, turning her to face me and seeing bewilderment on her face.

"Spill what?"

"You and Leo! What happened last night?"

"Oh uh... " She blushed "Well, he saw me going to leave last night, and we talked and then... well..."

"Weeeelll?"

"Jade, he kissed me"

I stared at her, waiting for her to say more.

"And then... well, I told him how I felt before the kiss, but then I went and kissed him after he told me how he felt, and uh..." She was talking so fast, it sounded like she was almost ashamed to tell me.

"Did you guys..."

"Well, I kissed him, things got heated and... you know how it goes" She fiddled with the hem of her jacket, looking shyly up at me. It was so rare to see her this way. Vulnerable, so... unsure?

"And you know, I didn't think my first time would be with... well, a turtle" She laughed nervously, and I gave into the urge to hug her a little, pulling back and patting her shoulders a little.

"So you two-"

"I...uh... yeah, in the hanger bay"

"Uh-oh" I cringed a little "Remind me to avoid whatever area..."

"You know what?" She moved her weight onto her back leg, pointing a little at me and making me move back a little.

"Uh.. what?"

"Turtles are actually pretty good at-"

I slapped my forehead.

Nope, Serah hadn't changed.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-xx-x-x-x-x-x-

"Almost done" Ithiell wiped his hands on a cloth as I sat beside him at the console, leaning my head back on the wall.

Two more days, and the fighter was finally almost completed. Ithiell told me the rest he wanted to do from now on, so everyone else was sent to rest and get something to eat. I however, decided to stay with him as he worked.

"Well, that's a relief" I let out in a yawn, surprised when Ithiell let out his own yawn.

"Might have to leave the actual mission for tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I am beat" He yawned again, scratching the back of his head a little.

"Do you think they've... found the..." I yawned because of his yawn, shaking my head and instead opting to get up and walk around the almost complete fighter.

It was alot bigger than Ithiell's original fighter, and this one had a couple of smaller rooms, one for what I guessed for medical emergencies, and the other...

Well, lets just say it was built for a long stay.

Either way, it was simply amazing what we'd all been able to do, in just a few days. Working together, pouring blood, sweat and tears into it...

Figuratively speaking.

"All right, that calibration is done, I've got one more to do, but that can wait" He turned around as I turned to him, both of us locking eyes.

"Ithiell..."

"I know, right now we have to save the city. After that... after that..." He sighed, shaking his head, and I could see a small glistening at his eyes.

"Ithiell" I went over to him, and he let me hug him, returning the hug and sighing again.

"Jade, I'm... I'm scared. What if she... what if we..."

"Don't do this to yourself Ithiell. Remember the promise" In spite of my strong words, I felt tears spring to my own eyes, knowing what it would do to both of us, but knowing we had to keep going, no matter what the outcome.

"I know, I wont" He pulled away, turning around and grabbing his tools, patting the console before we both left out the hatch.

"So" He started, putting the tools back on the table, turning to me and smiling "Leo and Serah, hey?"

"Apparently so" I smiled at him, stretching a little as he shook his head.

"Four teenage mutant turtles, and four teenage human girls. What could go wrong" He snickered a little, and I just looked at him.

"Oh come on, that was funny"

I rolled my eyes, slapping him a little as he went past, following him towards the tunnel.

"I do wonder though..."

Ithiell stopped, turning to me a little.

"Wonder what?"

I blushed a little, shaking my head. It felt silly, and I knew it would sound silly...

"Come on Jade, tell me what you're thinking" He nudged me, and I blushed more, knowing Ithiell now wouldn't give up on it.

"Well, Leo had a crush on me a few months ago... you don't think he's like, using Serah to..." I trailed off, twiddling my fingers and looking up at the fighter, blushing a little.

"No Jade. I think, no offense, that Leo just saw all his brothers being happy, and he felt a little left out. Then you and Don had your little falling out, and he spent time with you..."

"Oh... so he didn't actually like me"

He shook his head, putting an arm around my neck a little.

"Oh, he liked you. I just don't think he realised what he was doing at the time. Plus with all that was going on at the time... I think he just wanted some form of happiness"

"But... could that mean Serah..."

He laughed, moving away from me and going back to the bench, doing something.

"Now you're being silly. I've been...distracted... but even _I_ could see how he looks at her. And even moreso, how she follows him around..."

"Like a puppy" I supplied, smiling and shaking my head a little. That girl...

"So I don't think you have anything to be worried about"

I frowned "If he hurts her, I'll elephant squash him"

Ithiell laughed... a sound I don't think I'd heard in a long time... then came and put an arm around my shoulders, starting to walk towards the tunnel.

"I'm sure you will"

We fell silent and his arm slipped off my shoulders as we walked towards the tunnel, before Ithiell stopped again, smiling a little.

"Uh... Ithiell?'

"Well, I wonder if... if Kristiana and Mikey have..."

"If they've what?"

"Wonder if they've been intimate" Ithiell grinned at me, and my jaw dropped.

"Why in the... what would make you think of that?!"

"To get that response"

I slapped his shoulder a little "Oh gosh, now you've got me wondering... oh the images"

He laughed again, slapping my shoulder a little and heading into the tunnel.

"So, back to Leo..."

"Leo?" I looked at him, and he smiled at me.

"Leo and Serah are together now?"

"Well... I... uh, I guess they are. I mean, they admitted their feelings, had a smooch... Serah walked into the kitchen the other morning looking like a train wreck..."

Another laugh, and I couldn't help but smile at him. This thing with Serah and Leo seemed to be doing him some good of all things...

"Jade" A hand in front of my face made me blink, bringing me back to the present.

"Oh, sorry"

"You zone out alot, maybe you should ask Rtaia for something to help you sleep"

"You first"

"Either way, I'm glad they got together. If...they're together" He shrugged a little "Whatever they are, its been a long time coming"

"You think so?"

He snorted "Oh yeah, they tension between them was even buggin me"

We fell into silence, and I noticed his face fall suddenly, stopping at the last step, looking almost like he wanted to cry. But I knew what he was thinking, and moved to hug him a little.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. They both will" I couldn't stop the sudden shaking from my voice, hearing him sigh. I forced myself to put on a brave face, moving back and looking straight into his eyes.

"We deal with this first, then go get those two bludgers"

He nodded, smiling a little "You got it"

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Sorry this chapter wasn't that long guys, either way, I hope you liked it anyway! :D**

 **Please let me know!**


	8. Passion (Rating for content)

**Chapter 8  
**

 **Warning for mature content at the start!**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

My loose hair was brushed aside, and I felt lips touch the nape of my neck, gently sucking at the skin. I felt shivers go through my body, trying to ignore it as I went to fix my jeans up. I couldn't be distracted today...

Hands were now gently sliding down my arms, resting above my own hands at my waist, before one slipped up under my shirt, the other down my jeans. I moaned a little, collapsing back to the strong body behind me.

"S-stop" I tried to get out, feeling my body respond to what those hands were doing, letting out a whimper as I felt my bottom half of my clothing being slowly pulled off.

Soon, I found myself turned around, then picked up pressed against the wall, looking into passionate green eyes. He made me lock my legs around him as he pushed in gently, and I bit my lip, trying not to make a sound as we started to move in a rhythm.

I didn't know what had come over either of us, but for a good part of the night we had been like this. Hands all over one another, going through the heights of passion together, over and over...

And now... when it was almost time to leave, and we were at it again. Donnie was hard to say no to, especially at a time like this.

I moved forward, biting his shoulder and hearing him let out a throaty grunt, knowing I was trying not to make any more sounds. I just hoped the others weren't-

"Jade! Donnie! You up yet!" Came Leo's voice, and we both stopped moving, looking into each others eyes. Both of us were shaking uncontrollably.

"Uh... yeah" I managed to get out in the steadiest voice I could manage, seeing a little annoyance in Donnie's eyes. I knew... it was taking him a great effort not to keep going.

"Okay, good! You guys better get out here, it's almost time to go!"

"When we're ready!" Donnie called out this time, and I could hear the aggression in his tone. I was just hoping it wouldn't-

"Uh... okay then" Came Leo's confused response. I thought I heard him leave, looking back at Donnie as he started to move again, the motion causing me to forget about the interruption.

Finally, we both collapsed on the bed next to us, completely spent. I could feel my heart beating a mile a minute, looking over at Donnie. His eyes were half closed and he was trying to catch his breath.

A realisation hit me then; we were going back out there, into battle, and we...

Well, from what I could guess, we were both worried. And the way to deal with that worry was-

I suddenly felt a hand on my upper thigh, and I looked back at up at Donnie, seeing him smiling at me.

"Oh no, no you don't" I slapped his hand off me, going to grab my clothes and put them back on, feeling myself sweating a little from the exercise, as well as shaking from the intense passion I'd just experienced once again.

"Wasn't going to" Was his response as I heard the bed creak a little, and I went around the room to grab a hair tie from my bedside table, grabbing a brush and roughly running it through my hair. I knew he was close, but I ignored him as I brushed the knots out furiously.

Knowing almost everyone else was coming with us today... well, tonight... was troubling me a little. Especially after we'd failed our recon so miserably. Sure, we'd all gotten out, and we guessed Jake had gone back to the valley (as no Yeerks had come knocking at our door), but now the Yeerks were aware of us still being near the city. We had lost our element of surprise, and it was possible they would start to look for us again.

The thought of Donnie being hurt, or...

I turned to him as I felt him come up to me, putting my arms around him and pulling him close. He made a strange sound as I dug my head into his chest, breathing in his scent and hoping he would be all right.

"Jade?" His arms went around me, almost confused it seemed.

"Just... worried about you"

"And I'm worried about you" He hugged me a little tighter, and I finally forced myself to move away from him, doing my best to get ready and focus on what was ahead. I saw him putting the last of his gear on, grabbing his binoculars finally and slipping them on his head.

"You ready?" He asked, turning to me. I realised then that I had been staring, quickly putting my hair up as I slipped my shoes on.

"Sorry, yeah... the others are probably waiting"

"Gonna have to apologise to Leo too" He mused, and I nodded.

"Uh, yeah... you can get really moody when- omph" My voice left me when Donnie's lips trapped mine again, almost as if to hush me. But I knew...

He pulled away, moving his binoculars a little and resting his forehead against mine. I heard him sigh, his hands now resting on my waist.

"Come back to me, okay?"

"Only if you do"

"Okay" We lingered like that for a little too long, before another knock at the door brought us out of our tender moment.

"Dudes, uh... wakey wakey!" Mikey this time, and I guessed Leo had sent him instead to come get us.

"We're up Mikey, hang on" I went over to the door, opening it and seeing a very shy Mikey there, looking from Donnie to me.

"You guys look..." He scratched the back of his head, and I moved forward hugging him.

"You just take care of yourself, okay?"

"No promises Jade" He giggled a little as he hugged me back, then moved away from me so we could leave the room. The three of us then started to head towards the hanger.

"So... you guys were like... doin it, hey?"

I choked on my own spit, stopping dead in my tracks and looking at Mikey.

"Mikey! Really?!"

"Mikey!" Donnie sounded just as shocked.

"What? Not like I don't know what it's like..." He shrugged, walking ahead of us.

Donnie and I looked at each other, both of us wide eyed and open mouthed.

I don't know what shocked us more. The fact Mikey had been so blunt, or that he'd just openly admitted to doing the same thing.

Perhaps both.

-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-

I felt a bit nervous as I stood at the door of the fighter, looking down to the city below us. I just hoped this cloaking technology Ithiell installed was actually working. Also, there was that fear about falling out the door again...

Below us, it looked like the Controllers were once again out, but not in the force that they were before. Which confused me. I thought I'd heard April... I mean, Visser Two... to get everyone out of the massive ship to come and help?

Perhaps Visser One had a hand in it. After all, I knew she was around here somewhere, and I knew Yeerks loved embarrassing one another...

"All right, I've calibrated my instruments. I should be able to scan for the creature now"

The fighter jolted a little as we moved forward, and in an instant a hand was on my arm, making me jump a little. I looked up, finding Leo there, smiling a little at me.

"Don't want a repeat of last time" He said, and I shook my head, looking over at where Donnie and Ithiell were working away, Rtaia and Mihra not far from them.

"Are you okay Leo? I mean..." I scratched the back of my head, trying to think of the right words to say. This was going be be dangerous mission, and I just wanted to make sure we had smoothed things over properly before we all headed out.

"Yeah, why?" He looked a little confused, and I leaned my back against the wall near the door, looking at the others. The Animorphs were half in the other rooms, and Rachel was out in the main area with Raph, and they were whispering to each other. Mikey was nudging Marco, giggling about something or other.

We'd decided to leave Splinter, Kristiana and Serah back at the base, knowing those three wouldn't be able to defend themselves in a real firefight. I half wondered if they would be okay there. I was worried that the Yeerks would find the base... or that Jake would show up again...

"Well... we haven't really talked about what happened. I just want to make sure that it wont like..." I trailed off, sighing and wishing I knew exactly what to say.

Leo let out a small laugh, shaking his head and putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Jade, I haven't thought about that in months. I have no hard feelings against you, and I know what I did was wrong. I am sorry I hurt you, but I do hope you can or have forgiven me"

I smiled at him, giving into the urge to go and hug him "Of course I have, I just didn't want any bad feelings between us"

He hugged me back "No Jade, I could never hate you"

I moved away to look up at him, taking his hands in mine "I see you like another brother Leo. I just hope... well, I just hope we can start talking normally again"

He winked, smiling at me "Of course. I need someone to talk to when..."

He looked a little shy then, shaking his head and just smiling, but I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to say.

"Someone to talk to about Serah and her craziness?" I half asked, smirking. He nodded, moving away from me to stand at the other side of the door, looking outside.

"She's amazing"

"I'm glad you two are happy" I turned to look outside as well, seeing buildings go slowly by.

"More than. Jade, I... " He shook his head "Now I know how Donnie feels with you... well, how all my brothers feel. It's just amazing"

I looked at him, finding him smiling a strange, sweet smile I'd never seen on him. He looked truly happy and at peace with himself, even for just a moment.

"It is" Was the only thing I could think to say, unable to keep myself from smiling at him. To me, it looked like his world was complete. Him and Serah...

Made me think of me and Donnie. When I first met him...well, when I was conscious enough to meet him properly... I knew there was something about him I couldn't put my finger on. We'd been through so much together...

I looked over at Donnie, only being able to see his back as he half bent over the controls, talking with Ithiell about sectors or something, feeling a warmth in my heart again. I'd never been so passionate about someone...

"I can't wait til these ugly slugs are out of our city, and off our planet" Leo's voice made me turn to look at him. He looked downright determined.

"Same" Another thing we were both passionate about.

"What is that?!" Donnie's voice sounded almost panicked, and we all turned to look at the boys.

"Whats wrong?" Rachel asked, and Marco half ran past us to get to the front.

"Well... we found something, but... I don't know if it's alive or not" Ithiell mused, his fingers working away as Marco went to stand next to him, Rtaia moving out of the way so he could. Rachel wasn't far behind, moving between Mihra and Donnie.

"Are you going to tell the rest of us?" Raphael huffed, folding his arms and leaning back a little, annoyed.

"Well... it looks like a massive vine or something, but the size of it... its, well, not normal" Ithiell looked back at us, and I was tempted to go up beside them, knowing that even in this bigger fighter, there still wouldn't be enough room.

"A vine? Seriously?"

Donne nodded "But the scanner is going crazy!It's reading as alien..."

"That... can't be the alien, can it?" Leo asked, sharing a look with Raph.

"We... don't know"

(Could it be possible that the alien has created this...vine?) Ax asked, coming into the main room with the rest of us, Tobias landing on Raph's shoulder. Raph didn't seem to mind, probably more distracted with this new discovery. Cassie came out last, looking worried.

"Quite possible" Rtaia spoke up "Perhaps we should go and obtain a sample of this vine, so we can run tests"

"It's an idea. My scanners can only tell so much from up here"

"But... it looks like it's attached to something bigger" I saw Marco point, a strange look on his dark features.

"Yes, but as you can see, whatever this is may also be giving off some sort of energy that is interfering with my scanner. This spot here next to it-" I saw Ithiell point "-to my scanners, is completely blacked out"

"A plant can do that?" Rachel now looked shocked.

"It could be a defense mechanism" Cassie spoke up "I mean, I'm no biologist, but I know some animals-"

"You could be right Cassie" Rtaia interrupted her, and Cassie suddenly looked sheepish. After all, Rtaia was a herbalist "This creature...if this is the creature... could be emitting some kind of defense mechanism, and this is why the Yeerks have not yet found it in all their searches"

"All right, but only a couple of people go down. Just in case this thing sees too many of us as hostile"

"I will go" Rtaia spoke up "I may be able to take samples without enraging the creature"

"Jade, do you mind going with her?" Ithiell asked, and I nodded. He probably knew it was easier for the two of us to get down there as shifters.

"I may be able to scan this creature a little more from one of the rooftops while they're gone, and relay it up here" Donnie said, suddenly turning and tapping away on his arm at his little blue screen.

"All right, but everyone be careful" I felt the fighter start to descend, seeing Ithiell was heading for a rooftop to drop us off. Rtaia moved around us, grabbing her medical bag from a little compartment near us, and the three of us lined up, getting ready to each drop onto the rooftop. Soon, Ithiell was hovering only a few feet above the ground.

Donnie dropped first, then Rtaia, then me.

"Don't do anything stupid Donnie" Leo called down to him, and Donnie gave him a thumbs up, with Leo responding with his own thumbs up, going to stand up in the fighter as it started to lift back up into the sky. All I could see of it was the hatch, but as soon as Leo moved back, I saw the hatch start to shut.

"Should have done that before" I muttered, looking at the two. Rtaia moved her bag up so it was over one shoulder, her ears folded slightly back and looking at me.

"Are you ready to descend?"

"Yep, lets go the safer way" I pointed to the door, indicating we head down through the building, and she nodded.

I turned to Donnie, who was tapping away still, looking a little confused and annoyed, pursing his lips a little.

"You take care, you curious ninja you" I moved up to give him a quick kiss, which he half returned, finally just grabbing his face in my hands and making him look at me.

"Ya hear?"

He smiled, nodding at me as he gave me a proper kiss, and I moved away, going to follow Rtaia to the stairwell.

"We should be able to collect a sample from the smaller-" Rtaia and I stopped, as the building started to shutter, finally finding the earth below us started to shake violently.

"Whoa!" I half pitched forward, catching myself and ending up half kneeling as the building shook even harder, turning to look at Donnie who was trying to keep his footing as well. He and I locked eyes-

"Look out!" Rtaia pulled me out of the way just before the ground underneath us exploded, and something came shooting up through the building.

"Donnie!" I yelled, panicked as I looked up to see something massive and black floating twisting and turning in the air above us, seeing it went down through the building.

"I'm okay!" He called out, at that moment all of us seeing what this thing actually was.

"It's not a vine, it's a-"

"Tentacle!" Rtaia cried out, as we both managed to get shakily to our feet.

"We need to get out of here!" Donnie yelled, but I couldn't see him.

Suddenly the massive tentacle slurped back through the building, crashing into more of the sides.

I looked over at Donnie, who was now on his knees, looking terrified. I'm sure my face said the same.

"Where'd Ithiell go! We gotta-" I felt a crunch under my feet, seeing a whole piece of the ground we were standing on start to crumble.

"Rtaia!" I grabbed her, shoving her roughly off the piece, feeling myself start to slip.

I went to move, instead jumping off it when it fell, my hands barely catching the edge of the rest of the building.

"Jade!" Rtaia's panicked face appeared above me, grabbing my arms and trying to haul me up.

"Ithiell!" I heard Donnie yell "We need you!"

I could only guess he was talking into a communicator, and I felt the whole world shake again, slipping back down and yelping.

"Jade, you must-"

 _FWWAP!_

Suddenly something latched itself around my middle, and I looked down, seeing the very edge of this massive tentacle had grabbed me.

"Ohshi-"Was all I got out, before it started to pull, yanking me cleanly out of Rtaia's grasp, and the last thing I heard was the two calling out to me as I screamed blue murder, the tentacle dragging me down through the destroyed building.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	9. Lair Of The Beast

**Chapter 9  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

The first thing I felt was pain. But not a horrible pain, more a dull aching like I'd been using too many muscles. More around my abdomen than anything else.

The next... complete and utter darkness. And when I say darkness, I mean... I couldn't even see the end of my nose.

Everything suddenly clicked, and I remembered being dragged down by a massive tentacle, instantly alert.

I felt my shoulder ache a little more, fighting to get to my feet, feeling very disorientated when I did. I looked around, trying to see any kind of light, or get an idea of where I was, but there was nothing.

I closed my eyes, trying to fend off the dizziness I suddenly felt, trying to listen to anything around me.

Nothing. Utter and complete silence.

Where in the hell was I?

I had a small bit of panic go through me, wondering if maybe the creature behind that tentacle had actually eaten me whole, and I was in the pit of it's stomach.

But... no, if I was in a stomach, there would at least be some kind of noise, and movement under my feet, wouldn't there?

The dizziness eventually got to much, and I ended back on my knees, bringing my communicator up and wondering if the light on that would help.

I went to tap it-

 _ **WHO**_

A thunderous voice suddenly rocketed the air around me, and I had to cover my ears, letting out a small yelp.

 _ **ARE**_

I looked around for the direction of the voice, finding it seemed to come from everywhere.

 _ **YOU!**_

I gasped when I saw two gigantic blood red pairs of eyes suddenly open in front of me, and something slammed into the ground beside me, making me bounce a little on the ground.

Was this the creature?

There was a horrible rumbling around me, and the ground shook violently, before everything went silent again.

 _WHO ARE YOU?_ The voice seemed to have softened a great deal, but was still nerve wracking to some extent. I noticed it now seemed to come from the direction of those huge blood red eyes that were now looking down at me.

 _YOU ARE NOT LIKE THE OTHERS, WHO ARE YOU?_ It asked again, and it took a moment for it all to sink in. This creature was actually _talking_ to me!

"I... my name is Jade" My voice came out shaky, and it's eyes narrowed.

I HAVE READ YOUR THOUGHTS WHILE YOU WERE IN SLUMBER. YOUR MIND IS CONFUSING, AND WITH IMAGES OF RECENT MATING WITH ONE NOT OF YOUR SPECIES, BUT I SEE NO FURTHER. THERE IS NO SMALL SLUG CREATURE INSIDE YOUR MIND.

I resisted the urge to burst out laughing, purely from the insanity. This massive creature could read minds, and the only thing it could find in my head was thoughts of me and Donnie having...

It was just too much.

SMALL CREATURE NAMED JADE, TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE.

I gathered my thoughts, looking up at the creature and realising anything I said next could either have me flattened to a pancake, or possibly gain a new... gigantic from what I could see... ally.

"My name is Jade. I am a human from this planet. I have no... no Yeerk... in my brain. I fight the Yeerks, alongside others"

YOU ARE NOT WITH THE SMALL GREY CREATURES?

I shook my head "No. But I know...they're trying to find you. Did... did they hurt you?"

SMALL JADE CREATURE, I AM NOT OF THIS EARTH. THE... YEERKS, AS YOU CALL THEM, CAPTURED ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG, AND TRANSPORTED ME HERE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR PURPOSE, BUT THEY CAUSED ME GREAT PAIN. AND NOW...

They eyes closed, then opened again, looking almost angry.

NOW I AM AN ABOMINATION!

Whatever had landed beside me earlier I almost felt it start to lift up, then slam back down on the ground, as well as what I guessed was other tentacles all around. I struggled to even stay upright.

"What... where did you come from?" I tried to keep my voice as level as possible, but being face to face with this huge beast in front of me, I think would make even the hardest warrior want to run or even pee their pants. I was trying to stop myself from shaking as hard as I was.

I AM TAHJEMM. MY KIN ARE NOT FROM THIS SECTOR IN SPACE.

"Well, thats a given" I muttered more to myself, then turned back to the creature "Is that your name?"

MY IDENTITY IS SEQUAE.

"Sequae, nice to meet you" I tried to wave, and the eyes squinted a little.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

"What did the Yeerks do to you Sequae?"

A tentacle slapped down beside me again, and the eyes narrowed angrily.

THEY MADE ME THIS CREATURE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. OUR SPECIES ARE LARGE, BUT THIS... I AM MUCH LARGER THAN I SHOULD BE! THEY SPOKE OF... USING MY KIN AS SLAVES! I WAS JUST THE FIRST TO BE TAKEN AND USED LIKE AN _ASQUS!_ BUT NO MORE!

"Okay, okay, Sequae, you're making me think you're going to flatten me... please don't"

I WILL NOT...FLATTEN... THE JADE CREATURE. THE JADE CREATURE DISLIKES THE YEERKS.

"Uh, yeah, I don't like the Yeerks, and my friends don't like the Yeerks. We're actually trying to take back our planet from them. The planet you're on"

THESE YEERKS NEED TO BE... FLATTENED, AS THE JADE CREATURE DESCRIBES.

"That they do Sequae. Do... do you think you can help us with that?"

WILL THE JADE CREATURE RETURN ME TO MY KIN?

"We will definitely do our best. If we can, maybe even help reverse whatever they did to you, but I can't make promises with that"

HMM, HOW DO I KNOW YOU WILL DO THIS IF I HELP YOU?

"If you want, if you can, you can try and read my mind again. I'm sure you'll find more than just... ahem...mating... in my mind when I'm awake" I blushed a little, still finding it hard to believe that this large creature picked those images out of all the others while I was unconscious.

VERY WELL, HOLD STILL JADE CREATURE.

Something cold and wet suddenly touched my forehead, making me jerk a little, before my dizziness got worse, whatever it was suddenly making images flash through my mind, like seeing a moving a photo album.

Images of my friends, of my past... everything to do with the Yeerks... I almost relived part of my capture in flashes... now finding I was feeling everything I was seeing behind my eyes. The first time I shifted... images of sitting with Amanda on a park bench, laughing as our ice creams melted... Robert... Ithiell...

Everyone and everything flashed by in my mind, suddenly going faster, and faster...

And then it was all gone, and I collapsed to the ground, barely catching myself with my arms as whatever I ate last all came up and out onto the floor in front of me, feeling like everything was spinning.

I collapsed backwards, then felt I had to lay down, everything around me spinning as I pressed my forehead to the cool ground under me.

I HAVE READ YOUR MIND, AND YOU ARE TELLING THE TRUTH, JADE CREATURE. I... APOLOGISE... FOR CAUSING YOU PAIN.

I just wanted everything to stop spinning, holding my stomach and feeling a horrible nausea wash over me.

YOU ARE... AN AMAZING CREATURE... JADE. AND THE YEERKS HAVE CAUSED YOU MUCH PAIN. I... UNDERSTAND NOW.

"No... problem" I managed go get out, feeling something touch my cheek, disappearing just as quickly.

Whatever my new friend did, it seemed to have at least dulled the dizziness and nausea, to the point where I could at least deal with it.

JADE CREATURE. I WILL FIGHT WITH YOU AND YOUR... ALLIES. BUT I WILL ONLY REVEAL MYSELF WHEN YOU HAVE DIRE NEED.

I nodded "I understand. The Yeerks might try and kill you if they find out you're here. Wherever here is..." I added, managing to at least get myself back to my knees, looking around.

DEEP UNDERGROUND. DEEPER THAN YOUR FRIENDS... THE TURTLES... HAVE BEEN.

"Are you going to be all right down here? I mean... well, I don't know if you guys eat or anything, but... I mean, if they find you?"

 _Yes Jade, ask the big giant creature from the deep if it needs a pillow and a blanket!_

I could have kicked myself.

THEY WILL NOT. I AM AWARE OF THEIR MOVEMENTS ON THE SURFACE, AS I WAS WITH YOURS.

"So... you knew we were up on the roof?"

YES

"Um...can I ask how?"

I COULD FEEL WHEN YOUR SENSORS TRACKED ME. I DID NOT WANT YOU COMING DOWN HERE AND ATTACKING FIRST.

"So... you guys are like, super sensitive to electronics or something?"

The big eyes closed, then opened again, looking almost sad.

I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY THEY CAPTURED ME. LIKE WITH YOUR CAPTURE, I BELIEVE THEY WANTED SOMETHING FROM ME. INSTEAD...

Sequae waved his... or her... tentacles around just to emphasis the point.

"All right... I get you" I was being bounced around again, half falling onto my side.

IS THE JADE CREATURE FEELING... BETTER?

I was left kind of speechless for a minute or so.

This big giant...monster... whatever you'd call it... was asking me if I was okay?

Oh my world was weird.

"Yeah, I'll be all right. I don't know about you, but I kinda can't live in the dark like this. Its a little... disorientating"

Suddenly the ground rumbled again, and I saw Sequays big eyes move along with what I guessed was his body. I fell backwards from the shaking, landing on my butt.

SOMEONE IS HERE.

Suddenly there was a blinding light behind me, and I managed to turn, lifting my arm up from the glare of the flashlight that was bouncing around. Then I saw...

"Sequae, lookout!" I managed to awkwardly do a cat roll as the controllers fired, knowing I very well couldn't push this big creature out of the way.

TSSSEEEW!

TSSSEEEW!

Thankfully... or more, unfortunately, they only seemed to be firing at me.

From what I could see from the lights, I guessed three of them were down here.

As I went to dodge another attack, I found something wrapped around my ankle, knocking me to the floor and then dragging me upwards, high off the ground and away from the controllers.

"Hey!" I yelped, then felt a shudder as what I guessed Sequae moved again, and I could see the three lights all focused on a large tentacle, then I heard screaming as it was brought down, the ground seeming to shake violently as the three were crushed in one hit. Everything went back into darkness, besides a single torch which had fallen to the ground beside the tentacle.

The light itself was shining towards the tentacle, and I could pick up a dark blue or purple colour from it. It half reminded me of the skin of a reptile... like the turtles skin...

It was then I realised...

Well, I was still hanging upside down, a very fair way from the ground.

"Uh, Sequae?" I failed my arms and my other leg a little helplessly, trying to turn my body to look at his...her... eyes.

More movement...and more shuddering... and I could finally see the blood red eyes, looking almost angry.

THEY HAVE FOUND ME. I MUST LEAVE THIS PLACE.

"All right, but... can you put me down first?"

Suddenly I felt like I was falling, crying out a little and covering my face just before I would have hit the ground, but I jerked to a stop, realising that the creature still had a hold of my ankle, instead putting me down gently.

I got to my feet, moving and picking up the torch and moving around to look up at my new... friend.

JADE CREATURE, YOU MAY CALL ON ME IN A DIRE NEED, BUT UNTIL THEN I MUST GO DEEPER.

"Just... take care of yourself, I guess" I shrugged a little, looking around and realising I had no idea how to get out of this place.

Sequae went to turn around, the ground rumbling and me almost being knocked to the ground again, but then stopped.

JADE CREATURE...

I suddenly found myself picked up again by the ankle, yelping and almost dropping the torch, being lifted higher and higher and higher into the air...

"Whaaaaaaaa..." I cried out, suddenly starting to see a dim light, and then I was dropped onto solid ground again, finding myself in what looked like an underground car park, looking down and watching as whatever had me disappeared back down into the hole.

"Sequae, can you still hear me!" I called down, feeling another rumble go through the earth.

YES.

The creatures voice was further away now.

"How will we stay in contact!"

CALL ON ME... USE YOUR MIND, AS YOU SPEAK TO YOUR OTHER FRIENDS, AND I WILL COME.

"Will you be okay!" I felt stupid for asking, this huge creature had just flattened three controllers at once.

ONLY TIME WILL TELL. NOW THAT I HAVE TOUCHED YOUR MIND, YOU WILL KNOW IF I AM NOT.

Well, that was creepy. Mentally linked to a huge squid. Faaaantastic!

HERE.

Suddenly something small and what seemed squishy was thrown, landing just beside me. It put the torch on it, seeing it looked like a piece of tentacle. There was a deep black substance on it, which to me looked like the creatures blood.

A SAMPLE FOR YOUR CHANGELING FRIEND. THIS WILL HELP HER FIND... A CURE... FOR MY...

"We will do our best Sequae. If not... we'll find a way to get you home at least"

THANK YOU, JADE CREATURE.

A horrible thunderous rumbling came from below me, and I backed away from the hole it had brought me up through, seeing it start to crumble a little.

Soon, the rumbling started to subside, and I sat there, breathing heavily.

I couldn't believe I'd just befriended...well, sort of befriended... a big huge alien creature.

Would it help us turn the tide in this war? I didn't know.

All I knew was that this creature despised the Yeerks as much as we did, and at the very least we had an ally against them.

Enemy of my enemy?

I finally decided to move, getting up and moving towards the thing the creature had left for me. How the hell would I pick it up? It looked kind of gross...

I jerked when I heard something crumble behind me, jumping up and spinning around, aiming the torch at the sound.

It was Donnie, and he was climbing down through a hole in the destroyed building, and I saw Rtaia jump down after him.

"Guys?"

Now it was there turn to jump, turning and seeing me there as I dropped the torch.

I ran at Donnie, as he ran at me, picking me up and spinning me around, then held me close. It was then I felt him shaking slightly.

"Thought I'd lost you" I heard his voice tremble a little, and I shook my head.

"No, but this war just got a looot more interesting"

"Jade" Rtaia made me look at her, and Donnie seemed to reluctantly let go of me as I turned to her.

"We thought the beast had taken you. How did you escape?"

"I kinda didn't"

Now they both looked confused, and I grabbed Rtaia's arm, leading her over to the little piece of the creature, watching her eyes widen.

"If you did not escape, then how did..."

"It's a long story. But we gotta get back to the others first"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"A what now?" Marco asked as he plopped down on the couch. We'd managed to find Ithiell and get back out of the city, finding out that the reason Ithiell hadn't been nearby when my new friend attacked, was because the fighter was having electrical issues, and had almost crashed. From what I could guess, as soon as it disappeared further underground, his systems went back to normal.

"Tahjemm" I said again, watching as everyone else filed into the room, all of them looking confused.

"So... let me get this straight. The creature attacked... took you of all people... spoke to you in this massive voice, saved you from controllers, then plopped you back up and said 'See you when the Yeerks attack'? That's..."

"Crazy, I know" I said to Rachel, sitting myself on the floor and watching as Rtaia moved to go into the medical bay, holding the box that contained the part of the creature.

(The Tahjemm are only stories in my culture. They are nightmarish creatures who take over your mind when you are asleep and control you)

(Andalite use scare tactics on kids? Yeesh...) Tobias landed near me, and I shrugged.

"All I know is, for now, we have an ally in this war"

"So we cannot betray this creature"

"Ax, do you know anything else about these creatures?" I turned to him from my spot on the floor in front of the couch, leaning my elbow on the seat.

(Well, they are large creatures, about the size of your human houses... they can speak, like humans do, but they also have an ability to read each others minds through touch)

"Do we know what they look like?"

Now, everyone turned to me.

"What?"

"You were down there with it...didn't you see what it looked like?" Ithiell asked as he leaned against the wall near the tunnel, folding his warms.

"Uh... no. All I saw of it was part of a tentacle and two pairs of big red eyes"

"So... this huge creature was in front of you-"

"Guys, where the creature took me, it was pitch flippin black! I couldn't even tell you how big the place was, cause I don't know!"

"Or how big the creature was?"

"No. All I know is that it's pissed about being experimented on, and seems to want some sort of revenge"

"Revenge is never the answer" Cassie muttered from beside Rachel, who looked at her strangely.

"It is when you're a zillion foot creature who's probably been tortured all it's life" Marco retorted, rubbing his face with his hands and leaning forward. He looked tired.

Seeing him tired, made me realise how exhausted I was. Not sleeping much really took it's toll... not that it wasn't worth it...

I looked over at Donnie, who just happened to be looking at me. Like the others, the look on his face told me he was just as confused and unconvinced as the others were that this creature would help us.

I however... had this strange trust that the creature would have our backs. I didn't know what it was... I just felt some sort of peace.

"Well, we achieved our goal at least" Leo moved forward "Speak to the creature and work out it's motives"

"Yeah, smash the Yeerks" Raphael smiled a little, and I saw Cassie shake her head.

"We're lucky to have even gotten back out of the city. We need to be more careful"

"And we will Cassie. I think the fact my instruments went as crazy as they had, was mostly the fact of the creature" Ithiell moved forward, suddenly looking straight at me. I knew the look on his face...

"Ithiell..." I trailed off, standing up and moving to go to him, stopping part way there when he smiled.

"I think it's time we knew, don't you think?" He spoke to me, and to me only. And I knew...

"Are you ready for this?" I tried to read his eyes "And what about Rtaia?"

"I have my own work to accomplish" She came out, looking at the two of us. I saw her smile, almost sadly "Please, let me know what you find"

"All right, Jade" Ithiell put a hand on my shoulder, and I saw tears come to his eyes. I put my hand over his, feeling tears spring to my own eyes and nodding. I knew we were both exhausted, but we had to know, and we had to know now.

"Guys, where are you planning to go?" Leo came up to us, and suddenly I realised everyone else was staring.

"Home" I told him, sharing a look with Ithiell.

"Not without backup you're not" Leo knew what we meant, putting an arm around Ithiell's shoulders.

"You-"

"Donnie and I will both come along" Leo said, obviously sharing a look with his brother, who was suddenly behind me, putting his arms around my shoulders and pulling me close.

We had really made some wonderful new friends. The turtles... Splinter... Serah, Mihra and Kristiana..

And now... we would finally make the journey we'd been wanting to make for almost four months.

"Let's go home" Ithiell said, and I nodded.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter... we find out!  
**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	10. Dead Or Alive

**Chapter 10  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Even with Donnie's comfort and support, I was still a mess of emotions. I went from panicked, to relieved, to upset, to angry, to confused, to hurt...

And from the look on Ithiell's face, he was going through the same kind of emotions.

"Jade, can you stop pacing?" He finally said "It's distracting me"

"I can't help it" I muttered, still pacing around the fighter, knowing Leo and Donnie were watching me, but I didn't care.

It was keeping me sane on this long trip. I knew it was only a few hours, but it felt like forever.

Home... was it really all gone?

Everyone I had known growing up in that small town...

"JADE!" Ithiell snapped, turning away from the consoles to glare at me.

"What?! What the hell do you want me to do?! Just stand around quietly?!" I snapped back, going up to him and standing right in his face.

"Well you can do something other than thump around behind me!" He retorted, and I saw his wings start to flare, but I didn't back down.

"LIKE WHAT?!" I screamed in his face.

"Okay, enough you two" Suddenly Leo was between us, pushing us apart and making us look up at him "Going at each others throats wont help anyone"

"Well, if she'd stop pacing, I wouldn't have to yell"

"If you'd stop snapping, I wouldn't have to pace"

"BOTH OF YOU!" Leo suddenly roared "ENOUGH"

I looked up at Leo, who's stern face half brought me back to reality, and I looked over at Ithiell. His eyes suddenly portrayed such sadness...

"Oh Ithiell" I felt tears spring to my eyes as I moved around Leo to hug him, and he hugged back.

"I'm sorry Jade. I'm just... this is the hardest moment of..."

"I know same. And Leo's right"

"We just need to get through the next hour or so without biting each others heads off"

I snorted, pulling away from him and smiling "Wouldn't Robert be proud"

He smiled a little, turning back to the controls and shaking his head "And wouldn't Amanda be surprised we're going off our heads at one another"

"We'd never hear the end of it" I said, tears springing to my eyes, moving away before Ithiell could see my face. I leaned against a wall, trying to calm myself as Leo sidled up beside Ithiell, starting to talk about something or other.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying not to let out a sob as tears streamed down my cheeks, feeling a presence in front of me. I managed to look up as Donnie wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close and kissing the top of my head.

With his warmth so close, I lost all my resolve, letting out a sob as tears ran down my face. I felt a pain in my heart as I cried into his chest, hearing him try and calm me, whispering comforting words into my hair.

"Jade, are you okay?" I heard Ithiell ask, and my response was a strange hiccup.

"Jade, come on, remember what we promised" I felt his claw on my arm, and I fought to get some control again, hiccuping again before finally being able to respond properly.

"I...I know... no giving... I'll be... just give me..."

I felt him pat my shoulder again, and I managed to look in his direction as he walked back to the console, seeing Leo put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so glad you guys came" I half whispered to Donnie, feeling him kiss my hair again.

"Well, you needed backup"

I moved away from Donnie, looking up as he smiled sweetly at me, wiping the last of my tears away with his thumb.

It clicked then, that Leo must have known we'd need more than just "backup". He'd chosen to come along himself, because he knew Ithiell responded to him the best out of everyone, being a fellow leader. And Donnie... well, with Donnie it was kind of obvious.

"We can get through this" Donnie cupped my cheek in his hand, and I leaned into his touch, my hands on his elbow.

"I think it's just the waiting that's getting to me... well, us" Ithiell said, and I hummed in agreement.

"I know, but that's why we're here. We got your back brother" I saw Leo put an arm over Ithiell's shoulders, and Ithiell laughed a little.

"Thank you... brother" He responded, seeing him look up at Leo, then back at Donnie and me.

It occurred to me then... we all were pretty much one big family now. I considered the other turtles like my other brothers, Splinter like a father figure... Kristiana and Serah like sisters...

The thought made me smile, and I caught Ithiell's eyes. He was thinking the same thing.

"We're family, and family sticks together" Donnie gently nudged me, and I took his hand, leading him over to stand on the other side of Ithiell, the four of us now lined up.

"Whatever happens... we're here, okay?" Leo looked at me and Ithiell, and we both nodded.

It felt good to have "back up".

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I'd hoped for so long that it wasn't true, that they hadn't blown up my old home town. That maybe... just maybe...

But all those hopes were gone as we walked through the destroyed town, over rubble that used to be buildings, and houses...

I looked over to where the old ice skating rink used to be, only seeing a part of the wall, and a door, still standing. Everything else was destroyed. Parts of cars were scattered everywhere, old toys, papers flying around in the wind...

The more we walked, the more I started to wonder if maybe Jake was right. If I hadn't... if I hadn't made so many mistakes...

"This place really took a hit" Leo muttered, and Ithiell hummed in agreement.

Everything I'd known... every street, every person...

Gone.

My legs suddenly collapsed under me, and I ended up on my knees, unable to go any further as my eyes took in all the devastation around me. Part of me just wanted to cry, but I think my shock stopped me. I just sat back on my legs, staring as the boys kept walking.

Leo was the first to notice I wasn't beside them, looking around a little confused before looking behind him and seeing me there. He frowned as he came back to me, putting his hands under my arms and pulling me back up onto my feet.

"Come on Jade, we have to keep moving"

"Leo... it's all gone" The words fell from my mouth before I could stop them.

"We don't know that for sure" He pushed me forward gently, keeping me moving by resting a hand on my shoulder as we walked.

"Well, as far as I can tell, the Yeerks obliterated this place, then left" Donnie was doing something with his little blue screen as he walked beside Ithiell, who probably looked about as good as I felt.

"I should have been here with them. I should have... I could have saved them" Ithiell's voice broke.

"Ithiell, don't-" Donnie put a hand on his shoulder, seeing Ithiell stop, his hands now balled into fists.

"I... I just..."

"Ithiell, if you had been here, we'd have lost you too" Donnie squeezed his shoulder a little, and after a few tense seconds Ithiell relaxed a little.

"You're... right. Come on, let's keep going"

We all started to move forwards again, Leo letting go as I moved of my own accord, looking ahead of us and seeing a street sign, which had somehow managed to stay upright, in spite of all the destruction around it.

"Would you look at that. The town gets blown up, and a street-" I stopped what I was saying, reading the name of the street and instantly running towards it, looking down to the demolished buildings on this street. I surprised myself by leaping over and dodging around the rubble on the street, going towards a house I knew all too well.

"Jade, wait up!" I heard Donnie yell, but I couldn't stop, not now.

I saw the half destroyed houses, my eyes fixated on one that I'd been at so many times... it held so many memories...

"Jade!" Ithiell now, but I ignored him, reaching the house and bursting through the half standing door.

Inside I could see the destroyed walls, what was left of burnt and destroyed appliances and couches in the loungeroom, seeing part of the kitchen, the bottom half of the fridge, other random bits and pieces in other rooms, and the stairs...

"Jade, stop!" Leo cried as I felt his fingers brush my arm, but I dove towards those stairs before he could get to me, going up them as fast as my legs would carry me.

I went for her dad's room, the door swinging open as I almost fell down into the big hole, my shirt being grabbed and dragged back to safety.

"Jade, seriously!" Leo was a little annoyed, but I ignored him, going towards Matt's room, opening and seeing only rubble. I went to move in, but Leo pulled me back, just as the others got there.

"I need to know! I need to..." I yanked myself from his grasp again, moving around the destroyed room, over the burnt things, surprised to find nothing really there. Nothing I was looking for anyway.

"Jade, please stop" Ithiell's pleading voice followed me as I moved to Connor's room, half throwing open the door-

CRUNCH!

I stopped dead in my tracks, panic rising as my eyes slowly moved down to see what I had stepped on.

"Oh!" I jumped back as quickly as I could, slamming back into one of the turtles, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I moved them to cover my mouth, feeling nauseous as I stared-

"Dont look" A hand was suddenly covering my eyes, but it was too late. I had seen what was left body that I'd stepped on, my foot seeming to have crushed part of the arm bones. The image itself was now burned into my brain.

It was the body of a female, and she had blonde hair...

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Leo's hand was on my back as I dry heaved outside, tears falling freely from my eyes. Donnie and Ithiell were still upstairs. I wanted to see if Ithiell was all right, but my body wasn't giving me any respite. Every time my mind went back to that room...

"Well, we got good news, and we got bad" Ithiell's voice was suddenly behind me, and I felt his hand on my shoulder as I gasped for breath, seeing Donnie now kneeling in front of me.

"Jade, it's not Amanda"

I was about to look up at him and ask for him to say that again, but my stomach heaved again, and he had to move back a little as my body once again tried to get everything left out of my stomach.

"She stepped on a dead body, give her a little" Leo told his brother, feeling his warm hand rubbing my back a little.

The boys stayed near me, helping me, until finally I was able to at least sit back, using Leo to lean back on and wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt, taking in deep breaths and seeing Donnie looking at me, seemingly pained at seeing me like this.

"It's... not Amanda?"

Donnie shook his head, trying to smile a little "No, it's not her. And Ithiell and I looked all throughout the house. Besides... that girl... there was no one in this house"

"Okay... so whats the bad news?" I asked, seeing Ithiell come around and sit in front of me as well.

"Donnie was able to pick up some unusual readings in her brain. Looks like.. well, looks like she'd been Yeerked"

I sighed, leaning forward and closing my eyes.

"So that just leaves more questions. One, does this mean that some of the town was Yeerked? And two, what the hell was she doing in Amanda's house"

"Robert's house is over that way" Ithiell pointed "I suggest we look through there as well"

We all went to get up, but I tipped sideways a little, finding Ithiell catching me.

"One of the boys should carry you for a little, until you feel okay" He said, and I frowned at him. I didn't like the thought of being babied.

"I'm all right, honest" I went to move forward, instead seeing the ground come up to greet me.

"Uh, no you're not" Donnie swept me up in his arms, one arm under my leg the other on my back, and he turned as Leo and Ithiell started walking.

Thankfully, there were no bodies in Robert's house, and we... well, they, all stood in a weird kind of semi-circle in the middle of the ruined street.

It was only then that Donnie let me get down, and I stood beside them, Donnie's hand on my back just in case I tipped again.

"I'm fine, really"

Donnie just frowned down at me, and I shrugged. I really was feeling alot better, which was strange after everything that had just happened.

"So... where to now?" Leo asked, turning to Ithiell, who sighed and covered his face with a claw.

"Hey, Ithiell"

Now they were all looking at me.

"Have you noticed something?"

"Uh..." He shrugged, sharing a look with Leo and Donnie, who looked just as confused.

"If this town was taken out so suddenly... where are all the uh... where are all the bodies?"

I think little lights flashed in all their brains, because they all looked around, eyes wide, then back at me.

"I didn't even notice" Ithiell scratched his head, looking confused now.

"Could they have escaped?"

"Not possible, the impact would have-" Donnie continued to talk about the force of the blast hitting the earth, but finding Ithiell had grabbed my arm, and I looked at him.

"Jade?"

"Ithiell?"

"You know what else I just noticed?" He was looking past me, and I followed his gaze, confused for a second, looking back at him as he looked at me.

"What?"

"Something else is still standing?" He indicated I look behind me, and I did, and it finally hit me.

"The woods! They're still standing!" I almost jumped for joy, turning myself around and starting to run towards them, Ithiell hot on my heels.

"Hey! Stop running off!" Leo yelled, knowing the two would follow us.

-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We moved through the trees, both of us running on pure adrenaline now. The woods were still standing, by some miracle. So, if they had managed to get out before the impact, Ithiell and I both knew where they'd head first.

"Are you guys sure about this?" Leo asked as he and Donnie fought to keep up with us. They didn't know these woods as well as Ithiell and I did. We knew this path like the back of our hands.

"Yes, definitely. I can't believe I didn't see this from the sky before! I think I was just so focused on the town..." Ithiell was talking quickly, almost reminding me of Donnie when he got excited about something. Those two...

"How far in is this cave" I heard Donnie ask, sounding like he was out of breath. I turned back to look at him, seeing the exertion on his face, leaning against a tree as we climbed the small hill.

"Not too much further" I stopped then, moving down and holding my hand out for him to take. When his hand encircled mine, I helped him up next to me, and we climbed the hill together. Leo and Ithiell soon got ahead of us, but I could see even Leo was starting to sound out of breath.

"Told you I was fine" I winked at Donnie, and he shook his head, leaning against a tree a little before he kept moving.

"Jade!" Ithiell cried, and I looked at Donnie, seeing him nod before I let go of his hand, flying up that hill as fast as I could and past Leo, to where Ithiell was standing at the edge of the old cave he called home for years.

And he was smiling.

He pulled me up the last part as I reached the cave, looking inside and seeing what he'd found.

Two camping bags, rolled out, with what looked like bits and pieces strewn through the cave, as well as what looked like a recently put out fire.

"Could it be them?" I asked him, not wanting to get my hopes up too high. After all, I couldn't see any personal items.

"Who else knows about this cave?"

"Ithiell, you know what I mean. Could be some unlucky campers"

He sighed "I know, but either way this is a good sign there is life.. there are people... nearby somewhere"

"Guys?" Leo and Donnie finally caught up to us, now looking inside the cave as well.

"People"

I nodded at Donnie, both the boys now looking beat. The woods here could be brutal if you didn't know how to-

"Jade" Ithiell tapped my shoulder, and I followed where he was pointing, looking down and seeing tracks moving around the cave, then up the left side and away.

"You guys should stay here, we know these woods and we'll be faster" I nodded to Ithiell, who looked at Leo.

"Hey, are you saying we slow you down?"

"You two should wait here, just in case whoever it is comes back" I smiled sadly at Donnie, who looked at me with one of his don't-go looks, which almost convinced me to stay.

"It's okay bub, I've got Ithiell with me" I went over to him, giving him a quick peck on the nose, before following Ithiell around to wherever the tracks led.

"We really shouldn't have-"

"They'll be okay" He responded as we slid down the side of the hill slightly, then both of us hit solid ground, half running as we followed the tracks.

"Please let it be them" I sighed, hearing Ithiell hum in agreement.

He suddenly stopped, and I slammed into him, hard, both of us almost hitting the ground as Ithiell windmilled his arms, then pushing us back behind a tree as best he could.

"Ithiell, what the-ooomph!" His hand clamped over my mouth, and he peeked out, indicating I do the same.

Not far off, I saw someone with what looked like a hood on, grunting in annoyance as they dragged something... or maybe someone. I couldn't be sure at this angle.

I looked back at Ithiell, my eyes probably wide as dinner plates.

'Serial killer?' I mouthed, and he shrugged. We heard a grunt, then the person groan a little, both of us chancing another peek out from behind the tree, seeing the figure turn to the right, grabbing what looked like a shovel.

With that he... or what I guessed was a he, started digging.

'Move back' Ithiell mouthed, and I nodded, both of us slowly getting to our feet, starting to move around and-

 _Snap!_

The tiniest twig snapped under my foot, and I silently cursed myself, hearing the shoveling stop, looking around...

And seeing a gun in the persons hand.

"RUN!" I yelled at Ithiell, pushing him as a shot missed me by inches, both of us diving through the forest like our lives depended on it.

Another shot, and I could hear whoever it was following us, too afraid to stop or look back, or even tell this person we weren't the enemy.

"This way!" Ithiell grabbed my arm, jerking me left as we moved along a path that had a deep slope on each side, wondering how crazy Ithiell actually was.

This would get us shot for sure!

"Ah!" I yelped, ducking as another bullet whipped past my head "Ithiell!"

"Trust me" Was his response as we ran, now going down a slope as we did.

There was suddenly a high pitched whistle from behind us, wondering if it was the person, but then I heard a sharp whistle in response from what I guessed was ahead of us.

Finally, we were away from the damn slopes, and I heard Ithiell yelp something before I looked in front of me, seeing something heading straight for my head.

I don't know if it was dumb luck, or if my body had reacted in time, but I felt my foot slip, which caused the rest of me to tip backwards collapsing to the ground as I saw what I now saw was a shovel swing over me.

I scrambled up, throwing a blind kick at the person who was bringing the shovel back up, seeing the kick land in her gut, knocking her down with an oomph.

I saw this persons hood fall off...

"Oh my god" I heard Ithiell gasp, finally seeing the first figure catch up to us, but both Ithiell and I were now staring at the person in front of us.

"Amanda?" I couldn't believe what I was seeing, hoping it wasn't just my mind playing tricks.

I watched as everything seemed to go in slow motion. The other person pulled their hood off, revealing the familiar dark locks I thought I'd never see again.

"Robert!" Tears sprung to my eyes, seeing him smile at me, looking almost relieved.

"Ithiell!" Amanda cried out, and he went to her, helping her up and then holding her as close as he could.

"Amanda, I thought I'd lost you!" Ithiell's voice trembled, and I could see the pain on his face as tears streamed down his cheeks.

They were alive! They were both okay!

"Come here you" Came the voice, and suddenly the last person to hug me wrapped there arms around me and held me tightly.

I returned the hug, letting out a soft sob.

They were alive. And they were all right.

I had never been happier in my life.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	11. Little Talks

**Chapter 11  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

As we trekked back to the cave, I noticed that my two friends seemed to have lost a fair bit of weight. Their faces were thinner, and they looked truly worn. Both physically, and mentally.

"I thought you'd all been killed" Amanda started saying, linking her arm with mine, and I took her hand, squeezing it a little.

"We thought... well, we thought the worst" Tears once again sprung to my eyes, and I put my arms around her, hugging her as we walked. Seeing her in front of me, alive and all right... I went from relieved to tearful then relieved again. Seeing her as she was though... it made me worry.

"We almost all were" Ithiell told her "But... what happened to you two? You look like you've been through hell"

"We have" Was Robert's short response.

Amanda suddenly stopped, letting out a small sob, and I turned to her, seeing her covering her face with her hands.

"Amanda?"

She leaned over, putting her head on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but put my arms around her, hugging her close and feeling the bones underneath those tattered clothes.

"When they came, we took to the sky, thinking we could shut that big ship down. We'd just gotten Amanda's brothers out..."

"But I still don't know where my dad is!" Her eyes met mine, and so close I could see the deep bags under her eyes, and her cheek bones sticking out.

"Amanda..." I half wondered if her dad had been Yeerked, too afraid to even suggest it at such a delicate time.

"We... didn't get a chance to save my... parents" Robert half growled, and I looked at him, seeing his fists were clenched tightly.

"It's all my fault Robert" Amanda sobbed, going to him and putting her arms gingerly around him. He sighed, anger dissipating as he returned the hug.

"I keep telling you it's not. There is nothing we could have done"

"But we didn't-" Ithiell seemed to rethink what he was going to say, instead "So, they took a direct shot at the town itself? Why leave the woods?"

"We don't know" Robert muttered from over Amanda's dust-covered hair "But... everyone in that town was... killed instantly..."

"How did you guys avoid the blast? Surely being in the sky-"

"We were above the ship itself. Amanda had the idea we might be able to get into the ship that way" Robert patted her hair, and she moved back, sniffling a little. She moved to go to Ithiell, who took her in his arms eagerly, and she pulled him as close as she could.

"How did you guys... I mean, Mand, where are your brothers?"

"I... I don't know" Was her muffled response, and all I could see was a single brown eye under that wild hair as she looked over at me.

"Connor took his car out of town after I told him to go. I think they got out okay... I haven't-"

She suddenly stopped, looking over at Robert, who was leaning against a tree.

"We've been... cleaning up... the town ever since. We figured the people here deserved a proper burial. We've been going slowly... there is so many..." Now even he looked about to cry, his hand over his face as he grimaced, taking in a deep breath.

Before any of us could react, Robert suddenly pulled the gun he had been carrying out, aiming it in a random direction and firing a shot. I heard a metallic clang as something deflected the bullet, turning around to see Leo there, katana out and in a defensive position. Donnie was behind him, Bo at the ready.

"Whoa! It's us!" Leo sheathed his katana as they walked towards us, hearing Robert sigh.

"Sorry, I uh... we've been a little on edge lately"

"Good to see you too" Leo came up, patting him on the shoulder a little. He looked almost relieved to see Leo, smiling up at him.

"What's with the gun?" I asked, turning back to the conversation "I mean, Donnie said they Yeerks came and... and then left"

"We've been having... a few leftover Yeerks coming through the town and woods from time to time" Amanda had managed to turn around, looking at all of us as Ithiell held her from behind, his head on her now skinny shoulder. I couldn't believe how horrible she looked.

"We uh...we found one in your house" I admitted, scratching my head a little "I thought... I thought it was you"

"Oh... her. Well... I forgot about her" She sighed, looking tired.

"She tried to ambush Amanda as she was looking for some supplies" Robert smiled a little cruelly then, waving the gun a little "I surprised her"

"So... you've spent the last three or four months... just burying people?" Ithiell spoke up now, and to my surprise Amanda moved away from him, turning to look sadly at all of us.

"We couldn't just leave them there! And... there really hasn't been anywhere else to go..."

"Didn't you think to try and contact us?" Leo squeezed Robert's shoulder, and he sighed.

"Don't you think we tried? There was no response. We..." To my surprise, Robert tossed the gun aside, looking up at me, and I saw pure fear in his eyes.

Robert? Afraid?

They really must have gone through hell.

"We thought we were the only ones left alive. We tried to scavenge what food and supplies we could, but most of this was just to delay our own deaths, we thought we could at least bury the town, before..."

I couldn't help it. I had never seen Robert so afraid, and so... accepting of his own death. I moved over grabbing his shoulders and yanking him towards me as I put my arms around him in a rough hug. He seemed surprised at first, but then returned the hug as I felt myself shaking a little.

"Dont you... _ever..._ talk like that again, you hear?"

"I..."

"No, no you listen to me" I moved back, my hands on his shoulders, squeezing a little as he looked at me with confusion in those steely blue eyes. Those eyes used to haunt me for a different reason... now...

"You... _do not_... give up. No matter what"

"Jade, I-"

"No, I don't want to hear it Robert. You're an asshole, and I hate you most days, but I never... _ever_ want you to think like this again!"

To my surprise, he smirked, a hint of the old Robert back, moving and patting my head a little.

"All right shorty, whatever you say"

Any other day that remark would have started an argument between us.

Today... I was just glad to know he was alive.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We all went back to the fighter, after letting Amanda and Robert get what was left of their belongings in the cave. Amanda wanted to stay and finish burying the rest of the town, but Ithiell assured her that we would come back and finish the job... after all this was over.

We needed to get them away from this, since it was probably not doing either of them any good. Robert for one thing, was a mess, and Amanda...

Well, she was mostly herself, but there was this vacant look in her eyes. Like what she'd seen...what she had to go through...

It seemed worse than any kind of torture I could imagine.

Fortunately, it seemed that having Ithiell around was helping her a little, and vice versa. I watched as Ithiell stood at the controls, one hand tapping away, while the other arm was wrapped around Amanda's waist. Amanda had her head on Ithiell's shoulder, her arm just as tightly around him, and I heard her muttering things to him, in which he responded just as quietly.

Robert, however, still wasn't really looking or sounding like himself. And I couldn't blame him. He'd lost his family... he'd probably had to be the one to bury them...

He was sitting against the side of the fighter, knees bent as he leaned his arms on them, his head in his arms. Leo was beside him, sitting quietly and just being a familiar presence.

I think Donnie saw my worry, standing up and offering me a hand to take, pulling me up and leading me into the room and shutting the door behind us quietly.

"I hope you're not-"

He shook his head, sitting down on the bed and indicating I join him, which I did reluctantly.

I looked up at him, and he smiled, a hand on my back, and I realised what he had dragged me in here for.

"Donnie I... they're so broken. I've _never_ seen Robert this way"

He frowned, but stayed silent as I leaned my elbows on my knees, looking at the door.

"I don't know what to do. I don't think there is anything I _can_ do to help them. I mean... Ithiell might be able to help Amanda, but Robert..."

A hand was under my chin, turning me to look up at him as he smiled sweetly.

"Just be yourself. Babying them won't do them any good, so just be you, act normally, and be there when they decide that they need you"

I hummed a little "You could be right, but... Donnie, how will I know when they need me?"

"You'll know. You are..." He sat me up, and I looked straight into my eyes "You are my wonderful, sweet, loving, caring Jade"

He then moved forward, kissing my forehead "And my Jade always finds a way"

I smiled up at him, pushing his glasses back up for him "Thank you my love. You always say the right thing"

He smiled mischievously then "Really? Because, most of the time, I'm just guessing"

I couldn't help but laugh a little, moving over and sidling up to him as he rested an arm around my waist. I put my arm around the back of his shell, just enjoying his warmth for the moment.

"Now... why is it you always consoling me? And not... the other way around?"

He shrugged against me "I honestly don't know. Maybe because I've never been through war like you"

I looked up at him, and he sighed a little.

"But... when that creature took you... I thought you really were gone this time"

"Yeah, you and me both" I muttered, both of us going silent for a moment.

"I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost my brothers, or Sensei..." He finally admitted, meeting my eyes with sad ones as he looked down at me.

"When the Shredder and Splinter were fighting in our old lair, I thought... I really thought I'd lost him. And I couldn't do anything to help at the time, because we got captured, and... " He trailed off, frowning and almost looking like he was reliving it in his mind.

"But... you guys escaped, then saved him and the city"

"Yeah, but it was close. I think the worst part was falling from so far up. I thought that really was the end" His voice became high pitched, and I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Well, I'm glad it wasn't. And now you're here"

I kissed his cheek a little, and he smiled.

"But I promise, if I ever need to talk about anything else... I'll come to you first"

"That's my Ninja Nerd" I nudged him a little. Surprisingly enough, Donnie rarely spoke about the big fight with Shredder. I knew only the basics of what had happened, but I'd never heard him actually talk about how he felt.

It felt good to know he was finally letting me in about that. At least... a little.

I just hope we kept up our little talks.

 _-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-_

"I got the salad!" Mikey yelled, lifting the large bowl over Serah's head as she passed under him, going to get something else from the kitchen. The kitchen itself, and our large dining room, was bustling as everyone helped set up for dinner. Suddenly he tripped, crying out as the bowl went flying in the air. In seconds Raphael caught the bowl, keeping it upright and making sure it didn't spill everywhere.

"I don't got the salad" Mikey said sheepishly, looking at his brother who only growled at him, setting the bowl beside where I was putting cutlery down.

It was strange how used to this we all were. Living together, occasionally eating together as well, and just all of us pitching in.

This time, we had two extra people.

Amanda was getting herself set up in the same room as Ithiell, and Robert had gone to shower while we all set up.

"You gotta be more careful" I heard Raph say as he passed behind me, then I half saw him move back as Rachel came back through with the bread rolls we had, seeing her move to give him a peck as she went past, hearing him hum a little, before moving back into the kitchen.

The other Animorphs had once again decided to head back to the valley, because Marco was getting a little worried about his dad, and wanted to make sure if Jake _had_ actually gone back there, that he wasn't causing more trouble. They would come back when they knew everything was settled, and we would start planning a final assault on the pool ship above the city. I just hoped Sequae would live up to his...her... _it's_... end of the bargain.

Speaking of, Rtaia thought she had made some progress in trying to create a type of cure for Sequae, and assured us that it would be finished by the time we decided to start the final assault.

"All right, the first batch of meat is ready" Leo came out with a large plate, putting it down on the table and moving to head back into the kitchen. He pumped into Serah on the way, and she smiled at him as he moved around her, touching her arm as he vanished back with the others.

"Mikey!" I heard Kristiana call.

"Yes my dearest?" He called to her, a big grin on his face.

"You forgot something!"

He went to head to the kitchen, moving out of the way as Ithiell and Splinter came through, cups and drinks in their hands.

What I heard next I couldn't help but giggle at.

"I got the mas-whoa!"

 _Thunk!_

"Mikey!"

"I don't got the mash!"

"Now I have to start again!"

"I'm sorry my love, here, I'll-"

"Don't you dare!"

"But I just want to-"

"You keep that up, I will show you why you shouldn't-"

"Okay okay!"

"Those two are a worry" Splinter said from the other side of the table, and we shared a look.

"Sensei, they worst she can do is throw something at him. And I'm sure with-"

 _Thunk!_

"Owowowow!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you, _honeypie_ "

"Okay, yeah, they're a worry" I smiled at him, nodding as he shook his head a little.

"Got the chicken" Donnie came out this time, holding another plate of hot food, setting it down in the middle of the table.

"Hmm, chicken" I felt my stomach rumbling, loving the way the boys cooked this chicken. It had some sort of herb on it, and they cooked it just right...

"Don't drool now" I felt a soft slap, and I yelped a little, grabbing my behind as I heard Donnie giggle, disappearing back into the kitchen with the others.

"Whoa?"

Everyone in the room stopped, turning to look to the door and seeing Robert there, freshly showered, and in some clean clothes, looking around in awe.

"Well, what you doin standing there" Raphael was the first to move, surprisingly, grabbing Robert gently by the shoulders and guiding him to a seat.

"Dig in Robert, there is plenty" Splinter indicated to the food, and I noticed Robert's mouth was wide open.

"How... how did you get so much food?"

"The Yeerks in the city gotta eat too... so we just do a few big food raids from time to time" Raphael explained, folding his arms as he moved to one side of Robert.

"Come on, it's not gonna jump into your mouth" I went over to him, putting my hands on his shoulders and shaking him a little.

"And don't expect us to feed you like-" Ithiell stopped, and I felt Robert's shoulders slump, starting to shake a little.

"Robert?" I asked, moving around and seeing tears falling freely from his eyes, biting his lip a little. I had never seen him like this...

"Hey, what's wrong?" I followed my first instinct, putting my arms around him and pulling him close to me, feeling him let out a sob.

It took him a few moments, with him half crying into my shoulder a little, before he was able to speak.

"I... it's just been so long... and after everything..."

"Hey, you're here now. For the moment, just enjoy the food and the company" Ithiell patted him on the back a little, and we shared a look.

This was not Robert. Not at all.

I think this was the most contact we'd had in the whole eight years we'd known each other. Robert was always the standoffish type...

Now, he was crying into my shoulder, and telling me why he was feeling upset.

"I'll try" He moved away from me, wiping the tears away with his sleeve, taking a quick glance at all the food around him, before looking back up at me.

"Thanks Jade. I'm.. I'm really glad I got to see you again"

I half smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing gently "Any time. And hey, you're not alone"

I indicated to the others, who were standing around watching intently.

"You got a whole big family behind you now"

"We got your back" Raphael nodded at him, and Splinter smiled at Robert. Mikey was back in the room, and was grinning like an idiot, nodding excitedly.

"I'll go see how long Amanda will be" Ithiell patted my shoulder, before moving away and going outside.

"Thanks guys" He started to move, grabbing a steak from the first meat tray, then moving towards the salad. After that, we all started moving again, making sure that Robert could reach and got all the food he asked for.

We repeated the process with Amanda, who was also overwhelmed at all the food in front of her, as well as all the support, before the rest of us finally sat down to eat.

"Good food, good friends, lets eat!" Leo announced, and Mikey giggled a little as everyone started to dig in. Soon we were all just talking about random things, Mikey and Raph making us laugh a little, and Kristiana pulling faces at Serah across from her.

"Jade"

I looked to my left, where Amanda was sitting beside me. Her hair was still damp from the shower as she swallowed a piece of meat, looking at me with those brown eyes of hers.

"I missed you" She moved to hug me, and I returned it.

"Missed you to Mand. I am so glad you're here"

"Same"

I moved away, looking in her eyes as I took one of her hands in mine, watching as she grabbed the last piece of her bread roll, half shoving it into her mouth. She hummed, sounding almost satisfied. I half wondered what she had been eating all this time...

"Do you want to talk later?"

She shrugged, and I squeezed her hand a little "Well, when you're ready, okay?"

I turned back to my plate of food, suddenly finding a hand on my knee, looking to the other side of me, seeing Donnie wink at me.

I knew he was right. Robert had opened up to me, and I was sure, over time, Amanda would too.

It would just take a bit of time. I couldn't imagine what her and Robert had to endure...

I suddenly felt something hit my face, sliding down it a little. It took me a moment to realise it was a bit of mash potato.

I wiped it off my face, turning to look at my assailant, surprised to see Rachel smiling almost sweetly at me.

"FOOD FIGHT!" Mikey suddenly yelled, and it was on.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Next chapter... we find out!  
**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	12. Give Your Heart A Break

**Chapter 12  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I readied myself in the darkness, listening intently to the sounds around me. I slowed my breathing, remembering what I'd been taught. Focus...

I felt the staff coming down before I saw it, managing to twist my body out of its path.

 _Yess!_

I got excited, probably not focusing on predicting the next move, suddenly being hit in the back of the head, tumbling forward and landing almost face first onto the mat.

"Ooomph!"

"Well done, but you need to _keep_ your focus Jade"

"Aye Sensei" I groaned a little, getting up and feeling the cloth over my eyes slip. I went to fix it as I got up, finding Splinter was there, and in seconds it was gone.

"I believe that is enough for today"

I blinked "What, already?"

He nodded, closing his eyes respectfully as he did, and I blushed a little, bowing low.

"Yes Sensei, thank you Sensei"

"You may go, my daughter"

I smiled at that, moving back up and leaving the makeshift dojo. I was getting better at dodging attacks, but Splinter was a master, and I would always hit the floor at least once in our training sessions.

Another week had passed, and Amanda and Robert were starting to slowly show signs of improvement, at least physically. They were both putting on weight, and it seemed like being in a place with so many other people was helping at least Roberts mood. Amanda, however...

Ithiell had gone back to look for Amanda's brothers, but even with all his new equipment, he still couldn't find them. I could only guess that upset Amanda a little, but she had pulled away from everyone. Half the time I didn't even know where she was. And neither did anyone else.

Unfortunately the reason why it had been another week, was because Jake was causing alot of issues back at the valley, and Marco wasn't prepared to leave our innocent family members there, until they knew that Jake wasn't going to be a danger to anyone else. To my surprise, I'd found Marco had backed me after the whole incident with him almost trying to kill me. He was now cracking down on Jake, hard.

Good thing was, thanks to Donnie and Ithiell (with the help of Kristiana) we had been able to hack back into the Yeerk communications, and we could now keep an eye on the situation back in the city more easily.

As far as we could now pick up from communications between the two Vissers, neither one was willing to destroy the city until Sequae had been found. And, thankfully, I didn't get any weird mental breakdowns linked with... it. Visser One was now making it increasingly difficult for Visser Two, and I was wondering when one or the other would crack, and possibly destroy one another.

I rubbed my sore cheek a little, knowing it would be probably be bruised later on, heading towards the room Donnie and I shared.

The noise of the TV made me look over as I was walking, surprised to see Amanda sitting there on the couch, legs pulled up to her chest and staring intently. On the TV though...

More reports now, this time from a bunker it looked like. The news reporter was wearing military gear, holding onto a helmet and saying something about how they were going to attempt a strike on one of the Yeerk Pool ships...

I found myself walking over, standing beside the couch she was on, and she looked warily up at me. I tried to smile at her, but her attention was instantly back on the TV, and I felt a little ignored. I knew she'd been through alot...

I stayed like that, standing for a while and half watching the TV as I stared at her out of the corner of my eye. She was transfixed on the TV, tired brown eyes almost looking like she wanted to fall asleep, but she kept fighting it. I wondered how often she had done this, when no one else was around, as well as where the others were. I didn't see signs of anyone around.

"You really want to watch this?" I finally managed to ask her, and she hummed.

"Yes" Her tone was cold, and it was then I made a decision. I couldn't stand by and watch her go into herself anymore.

"Come on Amanda" I said gently, going over to the TV and grabbing the remote on top of it, turning the TV off and turning back to her.

"Watching all that stuff really isn't good for you right now"

To my surprise, she turned to me, getting up off the couch and snatching the remote off me, clicking the TV back on.

"Jade, I've been out of the loop for almost four months. Just leave me be and let me catch up on what's happened over that time"

"Amanda, it-"

"I don't care!" She almost spat, coming up to me and bringing her face right up to mine. I had to step back a little, trying to think of something to say but my mind drew a blank.

"I don't _care_ what you think is best for me! I _know_ what's best for me! Now _leave_ me the _fuck_ alone!"

"Mandy, I just-"

"Fuck off Jade, I don't want you around me right now!"

That stung, and I watched as she moved to plop back on the lounge, angrily indicating I move out of the way.

She finally had to growl "Move" at me, and I slowly did as she asked, moving away from the TV and feeling like I'd been slapped. The look on her face...

I'd never seen her so nasty or aggressive towards me. Sure, she got mad, and told me off sometimes, but...

Well, this was different.

This was not the Amanda I grew up with.

I managed to get into the room, shutting the door and leaning against it, feeling hot tears falling down my cheeks.

Good thing Donnie wasn't around to see me cry.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I found out that Robert, Rachel and Raphael were all out doing some kind of training in the forest somewhere, and Donnie was with Ithiell, Rtaia and Mihra doing something or other with the Yeerk communications. Splinter was in deep mediation, and Leo and Mikey were off with Serah and Kristiana somewhere or other, so it was just me on my own, so to speak.

And since I didn't want to tiptoe around Amanda inside the base, I decided to get outside.

I used the lift, getting up on the top of the mountain, and just laying on the hard ground, looking up at the ever darkening sky. The day had been a warm one, and now dark clouds were roll over us as the evening set in.

I sighed, just letting myself take in the scenery around me. The trees, the clouds... listening to the occasional animal somewhere near me.

Sadly, my mind kept replaying the scene from earlier, making me feel like I was about to cry again, trying to distract myself by watching the clouds come over, hearing thunder not far off. For some reason, the thunder itself wasn't bothering me like it usually was, and I couldn't get myself to sit up or go back inside. I knew it would start raining soon...

Amanda's face was burned into my brain, those eyes of hers were filled with such hatred. And it was a hatred that was directed towards me, and me alone.

Did she blame me too? Like Jake, did she think it was all my fault?

I was honestly starting to wonder.

I wondered, if I had just flown to that hotel in the first place... would it have made any difference?

I would have never met the turtles, never gotten them involved in this war...

Then again, if we hadn't met, would they even be alive right now? If the Yeerks had discovered they existed, I was sure they probably would have been killed on the spot.

"Stupid brain" I muttered, knowing this way of thinking wasn't doing me any good. I'd replayed scenarios in my head over and over, and it always ended in one conclusion.

You can't change the past.

It also led to another problem in my mind; how can I help my friends? How can I fix anything, when even a friend that I grew up with, that I knew and cared for with all my heart... had gone so cold, and didn't want a thing to do with me?

I'd been patient, like Donnie suggested I do, but I couldn't just let her keep going down hill. The one time I decided to take some action, it had backfired on me, and now... well, I felt like I'd made the rift that was now between us even worse.

I kind of wished one of the turtles, or even Serah or Kristiana were around, but for the moment, they were all busy with other things.

So my mind once again floated around in circles.

Would Amanda ever come around? Or would we be in this standoff situation for the rest of... however long we had?

A gentle rain started mixing with the tears that were falling from my face, hearing the sky rumble a little. I didn't move to get up, too lost in my self pity and worry for my friend.

I could feel my clothes and face getting soaked, but I didn't care. Instead, I put my hands behind my head, just staring up into the still darkening sky. Clouds hadn't yet covered all of the gentle blue above me, so the rain was still just a light sprinkle.

My hair started to stick to my cheeks a little, finding I really couldn't move from my spot. My mind was a mess, and my body just didn't want to respond like it usually does to the sound of thunder far off. Part of me knew I should probably get inside before it came closer, and lightning started to hit, but the rest of me just didn't seem to care.

"Hey" I heard the voice, half looking up and surprised to find Amanda of all people there, sitting up and wiping my eyes, half leaning against a tree as she came up to me. She looked... apologetic?

I watched cautiously as she sat down next to me, moving a little away as she now leaned against the tree, watching her carefully. I honestly didn't know how to take her right now.

"Jade, look... I'm sorry. I didn't meant to... " She trailed off, looking away a little and sighing. I just watched her.

She pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and hugging her legs close to her, turning to look at me with big sad eyes.

"Come on Jade, say something" She half pleaded "Don't just look at me like that"

I looked away myself, feeling the rain coming down a little harder as I brushed my now matted hair back with a hand.

"Amanda, I... I don't know what to say"

We fell into an awkward silence, both of us listening to the rain and the thunder starting to get closer.

"Jade, I'm sorry" She finally said, making me turn back to her. She looked a little upset, biting her lip. I wanted to say something, instead just shifting myself forward a little, picking up a small twig near me, starting to mindlessly draw random patterns in the now muddy ground.

"I watched the whole town be destroyed, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Then I watched the strongest person I know, break down into little pieces. He... he hasn't gotten any better. He goes from purely cruel, to horribly morbid and upset. And now... now my brothers and dad are missing. I thought... I thought loosing mum was hard enough. But not knowing where they are... it just kills me" The last few words she let out in a sob, and I gingerly reached my hand out a little. She took it, squeezing a little, and I returned the pressure.

I remembered her mothers death. It was slow, and painful for Amanda. Often, when she didn't want to talk, I'd shyly offer a hand, which she always took, and I think the small bit of human contact helped her back then. No words were needed. Just a hand offered.

I just hope it would help her a little now.

"Jade, you've always been like a sister. Even when... you never let me down. But... when that town was destroyed, all I wanted to do was call you, and ask you what to do. But you weren't... I mean..."

"Mand, I thought you were dead. Ithiell thought you were dead" I felt a lump in my throat as I turned to her, not sure if she was crying now or if it was just the rain. Some stupid part of me realised we should go inside and talk, but I didn't think either of us wanted to move at the moment.

"As soon as we saw the news reports... we knew the town was gone. And that's all we knew. We tried to contact you, and so did the Animorphs. Every day I wondered... I didn't want to think my best friend in the whole world... had been killed"

Now hot tears streaked down my cheeks, and she squeezed my hand a little, then pulled me towards her.

Her arms went gingerly around my shoulders, and I returned the hug with a little more pressure.

"Amanda, I don't want you to ever think you can't talk to me. I don't want you to ever be hurt like that again... please.. just don't shut me out..."

"I'm so sorry" Was her response, hugging me tighter.

We stayed like that for a while, before Amanda pulled away, and I let her, instead finding her linking her arm through mine, her head now on my shoulder. Not far from us, the thunder rumbled a little louder, and I felt myself start to cringe a little inside.

"I think... I think the worst part was burying those bodies. Everyone we knew... Mrs Kandin... the guy across the street from you that always made you uncomfortable... Hannah... Roberts mum was the hardest. Jade, he couldn't handle it. His dad was an abusive asshole, but his mum..."

She sighed, and I stroked her hair a little.

"His mum meant the world to him. Without her... I don't think he'll ever be the same"

"Maybe not. But hes not alone now. And neither are you" I leaned my head on hers finally, and we both sat there, in spite of the rain.

"I hope Matt and Conner are okay" She said finally.

"I hope they are too. And your dad. But don't worry, we'll find them. They could just be hiding or something..."

"Yeah, maybe" She sounded doubtful.

"Come on" I finally said, pulling away from her and standing up, offering her a hand to help her up. I pulled her up, and she looked at me, a little confused.

"We need to get inside before the rain gets any harder"

"Yeah... sure"

She suddenly looked up towards the sky, and I looked with her.

"Uh, Mand?"

"It's so nice... feeling the rain"

I closed my eyes then, finally understanding what she meant.

"Fly?" I heard her ask, and I smiled.

"Maybe... after the storm has passed"

She giggled a little, almost sounding like the old Amanda.

"You and your storms" I felt her grab my hand, yanking me towards the edge of the cliff.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-

"You've been gone a while" I heard Donnie say as I shut the bedroom door behind me, seeing him turn and suddenly notice the state of me.

"You're soaked! What happened to you?" He came over, grabbing a towel and started to gently pat my hair. I put my hands on his wrists, and he stopped doing what he was doing, looking at me curiously.

"I went for a fly with Amanda. She... she started talking to me"

He smiled "That's great news beautiful"

"Yeah, it was nice"

I turned my head away, sneezing a little, and instantly the frown was back on his face.

"We need to get you out of those wet clothes, you'll catch a cold like that"

Before I could stop him he was yanking my shirt and pants of, wrapping the towel around me as he pulled the rest off, leaving me only wrapped in the towel, as he grabbed another and started wiping at any skin he could see.

"Donnie, seriously" I half giggled as he moved the towel around me a little, trying to dry me off as quickly as possible.

"Shh" Was his only response, and when he was done, he re-wrapped the first towel around me, then put his arms around me and holding me as close as possible.

I had to admit, his warmth felt good, and I rested my head on his chest.

"You need to stop caring so much" I muttered, and he huffed a little as he moved us towards the bed, and onto his lap. His arms held me securely as we both sat there.

"Do you feel all right?" His hand touched my forehead, and I pulled it away just as quickly, looking straight into his eyes.

"Donnie, I'm a big girl, okay?"

"I know... just..." He made a strange face, pushing his glasses back up. I moved to kiss his nose, then got up and moved myself towards my set of drawers, going and grabbing some dry clothes.

"How's Amanda?" He finally asked as I turned to him, using the towel I'd been wrapped in to try and dry my hair off.

"Still not good, but... well, she came to me. I just hope she keeps coming to me"

He hummed, then got up and moved back to his table, picking up what he'd been working on. Curious, I moved over to him, seeing him put his goggles down as he worked on the small contraption.

"I heard Raph may have made some progress with Robert"

I half snorted "How? By kicking the snot out of each other?"

I saw his shoulders move in a half shrug "Who knows. Raph is the strong and silent type, remember"

I put my hands on his shoulders "Unless Rachel's involved, then hes just a big puppy dog"

"Speaking of" He continued "I think Ithiell is now alot more focused. He is calculating at a much faster rate than-"

I shook his shoulders a little, making him let out a small gasp, before grumbling something to me.

"Duh, he's got Amanda back. Well... sort of" I admitted, finally moving away from him and letting him work.

"Why aren't you in your lab doing that?"

He froze a little, sighing finally and turning to look at me, lifting his binoculars back up.

"Because a certain two people are in there... or... were"

I tilted my head a little, confused.

"Serah and Leo. They've been going at it like rabbits" He turned back to his task, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"You can't talk"

Another annoyed hum, and I moved to leave, suddenly hearing a beeping coming from the main room.

I looked at Donnie, who was instantly up and pulling the door open, following him out the door.

To my surprise, everyone else seemed to converge into the main room as Donnie sat at the computers, tapping away and seeing Marco and Ax on the screen.

"Hey guys, sorry to bother you so late" Marco started, and I saw Ithiell and a very disheveled Leo go up to stand behind Donnie. Rachel was soon beside Ithiell, frowning up at Marco.

"Is everything all right?" She asked, leaning on the desk.

"Well, yes...and no"

"Jake?" Ithiell guessed, and he nodded. I saw Donne tense a little.

"He's been... well, let's just say I really don't trust him here alone. Even Toby is scared of him right now"

"What'd he do?"

Marco shook his head, and Ax looked a little sad.

"I'll explain later. But right now... is there any way you can think of keeping him locked up in a sense? We can't leave him here, but we also can't delay this final attack any more"

"What... does that mean?" Leo asked.

"It means we need to bring him with us, so he doesn't try and strangle anyone else for disagreeing with him" Marco looked at me then, and I blushed a little.

Couldn't make it more obvious if he tried.

"So... he's going to be coming back here?" I bit my lip, not liking the idea of him being in the same room as me one bit.

"Donnie and I can start working on something tomorrow. I'm guessing we're also going to need to come and pick you guys up?" Ithiell put a hand on Donnie's shoulder.

"May have to. Sorry guys, I know this isn't how you wanted this to go, but I can't have Jake here"

"Does anyone else think this is a bad idea?" Raph suddenly spoke up, standing beside me. I looked up at him as he put a hand on my shoulder.

"Perhaps I can design a medicine that will help keep him sedated while he is here" Rtaia spoke up, half sharing a look with Mihra, who nodded.

"I can help with this also"

"Good idea, but we still need to keep him restrained" Marco folded his arms "He's destroyed half the village before we could get him down. And we don't really know why"

"What? What in the world possessed him to do that?" Rachel looked genuinely shocked. Marco shrugged.

"If you want, you can ask him yourself. Maybe he'll listen to you"

Rachel snorted "I doubt that. Hes _still_ got issues with me"

"Okay, we'll get started on it tomorrow. Unless he's going to be an issue until then" Ithiell folded his arms, and Marco shook is head.

"No, we've got him locked up here, and under guard, for the moment"

"All right, I'll give you a call when we're finished"

Marco nodded, then nodded at Ax, who cut communication.

"Are we really going go let Jake back into this place?" Donnie sounded mad "After-"

"Hey, hey, we'll make sure hes out and locked up tight" Leo put a hand on Donnie's shoulder, squeezing it slightly. Donnie didn't relax one bit.

"And if all else fails, we got a frying pan" Serah offered, grinning at us.

"And chairs...and tables... and anything else we can pick up..." Kristiana piped up, throwing an arm around Serah's shoulders.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure he doesn't move without our say so" Raph patted my back a little, and I nodded, feeling safe with my big family.

"Sure, what could go wrong?" I tried to smile, knowing I'd probably regret saying that later on.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	13. Jake's Return

**Chapter 13  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

I didn't sleep most of that night, in spite of my protective turtle sleeping peacefully beside me. Of all my assurances to Donnie that I'd be fine, and I'd make _Jake_ scared of _me_ , I really wasn't feeling okay.

I knew there were more than enough of us to handle him, and take him down. I was honestly more worried about the more vulnerable members of our family.

Splinter, Serah... Kristiana...

As helpful as she had been with the Yeerks, she really had no way to defend herself against someone like Jake. The only thing I could think of was a gun, and the only gun I could think of was one that Robert had tossed to the ground.

Serah was another worry on my mind. She had been shot, and it had completely paralyzed her. I wasn't sure if she was still training with Mihra or not, but I didn't see her around as much as I used to. When she was around, she seemed like herself. But... you just never knew, with all that was going on.

Splinter was a master, yes, but he was also probably the oldest of all of us. And as amazing as he was, I was sure there was only so much he could do against the teeth and claws of the tiger Jake could become.

I heard the girls the next morning in the kitchen with Amanda, the three of them making some kind of breakfast as I sat on the couch near Ithiell and Donnie. They were discussing a cage of some sort, one which Jake couldn't escape. Both were tapping furiously away at their computers, pointing randomly at one anothers screens, humming and talking about what was wrong with the ideas they came up with.

"Entertained?" Came Robert's voice, and I jerked a little without realising it, watching as he plopped himself down beside me on the couch.

"If you call this entertainment" I rolled my eyes a little, jumping a little as another figure sat on the arm on the couch on my other side. I looked up to find Raphael half smiling down at me.

"Brainiacs are at it again, hey?" He asked, and I just shrugged, indicating to where the two now seemed to be having a heated argument about materials they could use for this 'cage' of sorts.

"I think that's kinda obvious"

"Do those two ever agree on anything?" Rachel was suddenly on the other side of Raph, half leaning against him and watching the two as well.

"We can hear you guys, you know" Donnie said as they both turned to look at us.

"Good. Then maybe you'll realise how silly you're being"

"We are not being silly" Ithiell protested "We are brainstorming. This just happens to be the best way for us to brainstorm"

"Just... try not to kill each other" Robert leaned his elbow on the arm of the couch, resting his chin on his palm and looking almost bored.

I saw Ithiell and Donnie both roll their eyes at the same time, then turn back to one another.

"Now, the force field-"

"I told you, that's not going to be enough! He'll-"

"Aaaand here we go again" Rachel moved over, then moved to stand in front of me, a smirk on her face.

"Uh..."

"Want to go let off some steam in the dojo with us? Splinter gave us the go ahead, and we kind of need one more person"

I looked back at the two masterminds, then around at the three hotheads around me.

"Uh... sure" I shrugged, letting Rachel pull me up, then half dragging me towards the dojo with the two boys following behind.

"First we'll go one on one, then we'll team up for doubles. No weapons, and no shifting or morphing. Just good old fists and feet" Robert explained, smiling a little. I shrugged, nodding a little in agreement.

"Okey doke, sounds fair"

We pulled straws for our first opponents, finding I was against Raph of all people. We paired up, then moved off to opposite ends of the dojo, so we didn't get in one anothers way.

I heard Raph crack his neck a little, smiling down at me "You ready?"

I returned the smile, backing up a little and getting into a starting position "I'm always ready, big guy"

"I aint gonna go easy on ya" He cracked his knuckles a little, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I've been training with Splinter remember? So... I'll try not to kick your ass _too_ much"

"GO!"

Instantly Raph was barreling towards me, and I managed to backflip to get out of the way, getting upright and finding a fist coming at my face.

I dodged, throwing my own fist forward and hitting his chest, finding he barely moved.

He smiled at me, trying to throw a kick, but I backflipped again, this time out of the way as he threw another punch.

"This...aint a fair fight!"

Punches...kicks... leg sweeps... all were coming at me, but I managed to just barely dodge all of them.

"You only think it isn't fair cause I'm gonna- oomph!" To his surprise, and in fact I think to mine as well, I managed to land a hard kick to his side, where his shell wasn't protecting him and making him stumble a little.

"It's not fair cause you're pretty much wearing armor" I explained, diving sideways and going into a roll as he came at me again.

I was honestly surprised I was dodging so many of his attacks, half wondering if maybe Splinters training had paid off to some extent.

"Agh!" I yelped, my back slamming onto the mat as a punch got me square in the diaphragm, knocking me down and knocking the wind out of me.

I fought to breathe as Raph knelt beside me, looking almost apologetic.

"You okay?" He asked, rubbing my back a little as I gave him a thumbs up, nodding a little. I still couldn't quite speak.

He waited patiently until I got to my feet, both of us looking over as Rachel let out a yelp, both of us looking over as Robert threw her over his shoulder, her back hitting the mat with a loud thud.

I saw Raph make a move to go over, but she was instantly back up, and we both watched now as Robert slid backwards a little, with Rachel following him. She faked a punch, instead dropping down and doing a leg sweep. He cried out as he hit the mat this time, grunting something under his breath.

She stood over him, breathing heavily, looking like she was going to do another attack, but instead offered her hand for him to take. He was sucking in deep breaths as well as she pulled him to his feet, both of them turning to us.

"Done?"

Raph looked down at me, still looking worried, but I punched his shoulder a little.

"Yeah, but rematch later Raph, you held back then"

"Nah I didn't!" He protested, but I bumped his shoulder with mine, smiling a little.

"If you had used your full force then, I'd have some broken ribs at least"

He grumbled something under his breath then, turning to look at the two in front of us.

"So, doubles now hey?"

Rachel nodded "How do you guys want to do this?"

"Well, I personally think its more fair for you two to be separated" Robert folded his arms, indicating from Rachel to Raph.

"Why don't I just team up with Raph, and we fight you guys" I suggested.

"Good idea" Robert winked at me a little, and I noticed the two lovebirds look a little torn.

"All right, let's do this!" Rachel grinned, turning to me. I nodded.

"Heeeyya!" Robert let out a battle cry, throwing the first punch towards me.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I rested my back against Rachel's, sighing a little. Both of us were sweating heavily, but neither of us cared. Leaning back to back was kind of keeping us upright. At least for now.

"Good match" I saw Robert go to fist pump Raph, both of them leaning back on Splinters podium.

"I think we missed breakfast" I muttered, my head back against Rachel's, closing my eyes a little.

"I'm sure they left us something" She replied, and I couldn't help but smile a little.

"Yeah, you're probably right"

Surprisingly enough, the sparring session had put me in a happy and relaxed mood. We had all gone full tilt at one another, until Robert and I started to spar against one another, leaving Raph and Rachel to kick each others butts.

It ended with Rachel putting Raph in a partial headlock, and Raph giving in because he didn't want to hurt her.

Such a big softie...

"Speakin of food" Raph started, half looking at us girls, then back to Robert "Leo was talkin about doin another food raid soon"

"Are we running low again?"

"Well... yeah. I mean... with so many people here, we go through the supplies fast"

"Oh" Robert looked surprised, but shrugged anyway.

"Jade?"

I hummed, looking tiredly over at Raph.

"You wanna come with this time? I know you had to go do those computer raid things with Donnie when Ithiell asked, but... now that ship is done..."

I smiled, nodding a little.

"Sure, count me in"

"Me too" Robert added "I need to get back out and fighting _real_ enemies... at least in some sense"

"It's not really fighting, but I reckon Leo won't say no to any extra help" Raph shrugged a little.

"How about you ask before you invite everyone along" Came the voice, and we all turned towards the door to see none other than Leo himself there. He was smirking a little as he looked at each of us, probably taking in our dishevelled states.

"Heya Leo" Rachel moved behind me, and I half saw her wave a little at him "Watcha doin?"

"Well, I was coming in to tell you to come get some breakfast before Mikey eats it all, but I think you _all_ need a shower first"

"Heeeey, I'm insulted! We don't stink that-okay we stink" I finally admitted, grinning like an idiot at him. He laughed a little, shaking his head.

"I'll try and distract Mikey for a while, you guys go get cleaned up. The girls made pancakes, some eggs... bacon..."

"I'm hungry already" I saw Robert get up, realising he had really gained the weight back he'd lost, and in such a short time. Which, to me, was good to see.

"I think we know who's in the shower first though"

"Just leave us some brother" Raph slapped his back gently, and he seemed to think about it.

"Hmm...maybe"

"That's it, I'm showering first so I can eat before him" Rachel got up, making me move and get up as well.

"Nuh uh, me first!" I protested.

"First in best dressed"

So, a race it was then!

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

I knew the time would come. I just... didn't expect it to come the next night.

Donnie insisted on staying by my side as they brought him in, and I half hid behind him without meaning to, watching as they all came in. Jake was between a morphed Marco and Ax, looking like they'd chained him up as tightly as they could. Behind him was Ithiell, and I saw Raph and Leo not far behind him as well.

They really weren't taking any chances.

I saw him look around, and I ducked behind Donnie, feeling like an idiot as soon as I did.

 _He knows you're here, dumbass!_

"You okay?" Donnie whispered to me, and I heard Rtaia saying something about giving him an injection.

"Uh... yeah. No sweat" I blushed a little, moving myself out beside him, seeing Jake lock his eyes onto me.

I felt a cold chill as he smiled at me, those dark eyes trained on mine. Thankfully, his attention was averted from me as Rtaia jabbed something into his neck, and he grunted, turning to look at her with the same death stare he had used on me.

"This should keep him in a sedative state for several hours" She said, not seeming to react to his glare, moving away to put the needle into a box with what looked like a few vials of a strange grey-green liquid and closing it.

"Will it transfer into his-"

"Yes, I designed it so he cannot escape the affects"

Jake suddenly collapsed under his own weight, Marco barely catching him in time.

(It works fast) He grunted as he slung Jake onto his shoulder, looking down at Ithiell.

"Put him in the cell" Ithiell pointed to a large metallic box the boys had constructed in record time, which sat in a sort of corner of the room. They had made it like a large metal box, with a force field and metal bars for the face of it, to ensure that we could see him at all times. They had made sure there were no tiny cracks or crevices he could use to escape out in a tiny morph. They had also designed it so the force field went around the entire thing, to make sure that even if he did find a place to escape, that the force field would stop him from going any further.

(How long until it wears off?) Ax asked as I watched them open the cage of sorts, Marco placing him in and stepping back as Ithiell brought the bars down again, seeing the flicker as the force field was turned on.

"We will need to re-inject him every eight to twelve hours" Mihra said, frowning a little "We have not had a chance to properly test its properties, so we cannot be sure"

"Are you sure this isn't too cruel?" Cassie spoke up, looking at each one of us "I mean, it doesn't seem very humane to stick him in a small cage and then jab him every few hours with needles"

"Cass, did you forget the fact that Jake _tore_ through half the village? Or that he tried to _strangle_ Jade?"

"Well, no, but-"

"How about the fact he went _nuts_ in the first place" Marco spoke up, now back to himself as he looked down at his best friend.

"I don't think you guys are really _hearing_ what I'm _saying_ " Cassie protested, surprised when I saw Amanda round on her. There was a fire in her eyes like the other day... when she'd snapped at me.

"No, we get what you're saying. You got a stupid flipping _crush_ on your fearless leader! And because of _that_ , you don't want him _hurt_ "

Cassie looked like she'd just been slapped across the face.

In fact, I was pretty shocked myself. It wasn't like Amanda to be so blunt and brutal. She then sighed, turning and walking off. I saw Robert share a look with Ithiell, then start follow her out towards the hanger.

Finally, Cassie seemed to be able to compose herself "I'm just saying that it seems a bit extreme to lock him up like this, and sedate him"

(I have to agree with the others on this Cassie) Tobias shifted on his perch a little (Jake's a morpher like us, and I personally... think he's worse right now than David ever was)

"But he-"

"Cassie, David wanted to kill us all, or did you forget that?" Rachel spoke up now, looking annoyed.

"David didn't deserve to be turned into a rat!" Cassie spat back, spinning on her heel and walking off as well.

"Wait, Cass!" Rachel followed, the tension in the air following them out the door.

"I just hope we don't have to do to Jake what we had to with David" Marco rubbed his eyes a little, looking tired. I saw Ithiell put a claw on his shoulder, smiling sadly when Marco looked up at him.

"Being a leader isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?"

Marco shook his head, looking from him to Leo "I don't know how you guys do it. I don't know how... he did it"

Marco indicated to the now unconscious Jake, looking like he was about to cry.

"With alot of difficulty" Was Leo's response, sharing a look with Ithiell, who nodded.

We all fell into silence, and at that point I couldn't stop myself.

I moved away from Donnie, heading over and throwing my arms around Marco's neck in a hug. He jerked a bit, surprised, but then returned it.

"Thank you" Was all I could think to say.

"Uh... no prob?" He seemed confused, and I moved back and just rested my arms on his shoulders, an arms length away now.

"No matter what, I got your back"

"Um..."

"No, we all do" Leo was there beside him, Ithiell patting his back from the other side of him. He smiled a little.

"Thanks guys, I just hope... well" He indicated to where Cassie had gone, not saying any more.

"She'll come around, don't worry about it. Ser and I will go have a chat with her" Kristiana winked at him, and I could have sworn I saw him blush a little.

"All right, lets work out first shifts" Leo finally said, and we all kind of converged in a semi circle.

"I'll go first. If he needs any more sedating before then I'll call one of you" Ithiell smiled, then turned to me.

"Jade, will you be all right taking a shift alone with him?"

I suddenly felt annoyed "Yes, I'll be fine"

"All right, settle" Ithiell patted my shoulder a little "So, three hour shifts do?"

We all agreed, and Ithiell and Leo set out who took what shift when, deciding we would all do a shift, Kristiana and Serah included. I had the fourth shift, just after Leo.

"Well, now that's sorted... I'm gonna have a nap" Marco moved to head into the room he usually used while he was here.

The others all went off to do their own things, and I turned back to the cage. Jake was against the wall, his eyes closed and almost looking peaceful. It sent a shudder through me.

"Jade" An arm wrapped itself around me, and I was pulled close to a warm body, but my eyes were stuck on Jake.

"Donnie" I finally was able to tear my eyes away, looking up at my Ninja Nerd "I got a bad feeling about this. Like... really bad"

He frowned, nodding in agreement "Me too"

"Maybe it's just me...or... us?" I tried to sound hopeful, but the look in his eyes told me he didn't believe me.

"We'll just have to be more... aware... with him here"

"Yeah, agreed"

"Come on, I could use your help with a couple of things " Slowly, Donnie was able to move me away from the cage, and towards his lab.

I just hoped we didn't regret bringing him here.

Sadly, something was telling me we just might.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	14. Bad Vibes

**Chapter 14  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I leaned against the doorway of the tunnel to the hanger, my eyes still trained on the cage as the others got themselves prepared. He was out, like he'd been over the last day or so that he'd been here, but I couldn't help the horrible sinking feeling in my heart that something was going to go terribly wrong with him here.

No one else but Donnie seemed to share my worry, at least from what I could tell.

The only thing that gave me any comfort, was the fact that we were leaving at least four people here that could knock him out if they needed to. Donnie and Ithiell were going to be staying behind tonight to find a good way to take down the Yeerk security, which would be the start of our plan to get that Yeerk Pool ship at least into our hands.

We figured it was the only thing that would get our large, yet shadowy friend back to its home. Even if we were able to get it back to its normal size, there was no way he'd fit into the fighter, and from what we could tell, the Yeerks didn't have any other kind of cruise ships about.

Rtaia and Mihra wanted to stay behind, because Rtaia had told us she was about to hit a breakthrough with Sequaes cure, which was a relief. If we could help the big creepy creature, we might just be able to at least retake our city.

Then... with a Pool Ship hopefully in our control, we would be able to slowly retake the world.

But first... we needed supplies.

"Jade?"

I jerked, seeing Donnie there, smiling down at me. He shifted his glasses as he stood in front of me, his hands going gently on my shoulders.

"Hey" I tried to smile back at him, knowing he'd stood in front of me for a good reason. Blocking my sight of the cage... and of Jake.

"How are you?"

"Yeah, can't wait to get out there to be honest"

He nodded "Just take care"

I moved forward, hugging him and enjoying his warmth for the moment "You too"

"I'll watch him, don't you worry"

"Donnie?"

He hummed a little, and I felt his warm breath on the top of my head.

"Please take care. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you"

"Jake won't get out. Trust me" Was his response, although he seemed a little unsure himself.

I moved myself back at little to look up at him, my hands still on his waist, seeing him look down at me, worry on his face.

I knew we were both thinking the same thing.

"Are you two lovebirds done yet?" We heard Leo's voice, both of us breaking apart to see him standing there, sheathing his katanas.

"In aboooout..." I moved and grabbed Donnie's face, bringing him down to kiss me, before moving away and smiling.

"Okay, _now_ we're done"

Both turtles chuckled a little, and I watched as Donnie and Leo fist bumped each other.

"Keep her safe, brother"

"Donnie" I warned, and he looked sheepishly at me, shrugging.

"She'll probably keep _me_ safe" Leo chuckled, winking at me.

"You got that right" I gave Donnie another hug, before kicking his bum and getting him moving over to where Ithiell was tapping away. I watched him for a little, before turning my attention back on Leo.

"You ready?"

"As ready as anyone can be" I responded, my eyes trailing back to the cage.

"Jade" Now Leo was in the way "It'll be _fine_ , all right?"

"Leo, I-"

"Duuudes!" Suddenly Mikey was there, arm around each of our shoulders.

"Hey Mikey"

"So awesome you're coming with Jade" Mikey moved away, looking genuinely excited.

"She aint goin with you, ya dummy" Raph was there, knocking his brother on the head, hearing Mikey let out a low whine as he did.

"She aint goin with you, either" Mikey shot back, sticking his tongue out, and Raph just rolled his eyes. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"I feel so loved guys"

"Just remember, she comes back to _me_!" Donnie called from over at the computer.

"We'll see!" Mikey giggled, and I pushed his shoulder a little.

"Greedy little bugger, aren't you?"

Mikey just smiled sweetly at me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him.

"Don't worry _honey_ , I'll come back to you in tact... or if you're lucky, in fun size pieces you can work out how to put back together" I called to Donnie, watching as he stopped what he was doing, turning to look at me.

"Not funny _sweetheart_ "

"You worry too much Don" Robert was suddenly there, and before I knew it, the ones of us that were going out on the raid were all in one big group.

"I worry cause I can" Was his response, turning back to his task, and I turned my attention back to everyone around me.

"All right, we all know the plan?" Leo asked, looking at each and every one of us.

"Yep. Three locations. Three teams. Go in, grab, throw in truck or whatever vehicle they have, take off and ditch the vehicle, get a pickup by Ithiell when we're ready" Marco counted it off on his fingers as he said it.

"And then blow the truck the hell up" Rachel added, grinning.

"Something like that" Leo confirmed, half rolling his eyes at Rachel's enthusiasm.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-

I floated above the buildings, with Robert not far from me. Below us, Leo was ducking in and out of the shadows, taking out whoever he ran across and dragging them back into the darkness with him to hide their bodies.

(Careful, there's four just across from you) I warned him, knowing he could probably see them himself from wherever he was, but letting him know just in case he didn't.

We were the only team of three, because we had odd numbers, so we had to be a little more aware. Mikey, Marco, Cassie and Amanda made up one team, and Raph, Rachel, Tobias and Ax made up another. They had the larger food stores to hit.

We were going after the meat stores.

I was a little surprised there weren't more controllers around. Leo had taken out most of the controllers without any help from us, and now we were almost at the storage shed that Leo had indicated on the map.

I landed beside Leo when we were almost there, shifting back to myself as Robert stayed in the sky.

"It's deserted" I muttered to him, and he turned to look at me, his eyes glistening.

"This is normal. Just stay by me and it wont take long at all"

"Okay" I nodded, looking at the guards.

"Oh, and Jade?"

I turned back to him as he slowly nodded at me, and it clicked what he wanted me to do.

Legs reversed and fur replaced skin, hearing and then seeing Leo slowly take out his katanas, readying them as I shifted.

"You ready?"

(Not... okay, now I am) I replied, now fully tigress and crouching as low as possible.

"Follow me"

He slipped in and out of the shadows, getting slowly closer to the controllers at the door. I followed him as closely as I could, finding that he was hard to keep up with, even as a tigress.

He put his hand up when we were mere feet from them in the darkness, and I stopped right behind him.

(Okay, there are three behind the shed, and two to the side and those two at the front from what I can see. I can also see one of those cold trucks headed this way. I hope that's normal)

I saw Leo nod, and I relayed it up to Robert in case he couldn't see us.

Before I could move, Leo had exploded into action, taking out the two guards at the front, slicing the lock on the shed door and pushing it open.

"Take the back, I'll get the other side!" He hissed, and in seconds he was gone. I started to run, moving my legs as quickly as they could and skidding around to the back of the building, seeing three controllers look up from what looked like a poker game, two of them with cigarettes in their hands.

(Don't you know smoking is bad for you!) I told them, seeing them all jump up, overturning the table as they did so. But I was already there, claws extended and leaping on the first one's chest, knocking him down and hearing a sickening crack as he hit the floor.

"Andalite!" Came the second one, scrambling for whatever kind of gun he had, but it was too late. I was on him and grabbed the gun in my sharp teeth, chucking it away as quickly as possible

The third one-

TSSEEEW!

(Ahf-) I cried out as it cut across my flank, letting out a sound of anguish.

He went to aim again, but found he was without his gun. Or his arm in fact.

Pure terror washed across his face just before I leapt back onto him, knocking him down and clamping my jaws around his throat. Soon, he stopped moving.

(Uh, bad news guys! Few more controllers heard the sound of a shot, and are coming to investigate!) I heard Robert shout as I saw Leo skid around the corner, not looking happy, before indicating I follow him.

(Sorry) I managed to get out as we moved to the front of the shed, and Leo started to grab boxes, hefting them outside. I shifted into a Hork-Bajir, helping him.

"Can't be helped" He finally said "Just means we have less time, and more enemies to fight"

(I'm sure Robert wont mind)

"We gotta get that truck first" He grunted, looking at all the boxes we'd grabbed.

(We got what we need?) I asked, looking around and hearing the sound of footsteps.

"This and the truck should do nicely for a while" Was his response, turning around and readying himself to attack. I shifted into a Jinnaw, just before the first of the controllers skidded around the corner, weapons aimed. I could count at least seven.

"Andalite!" One yelled, just before Leo dove forward, and I growled.

(I am not an Andalite, you idiots!) I roared, making a few jump as I followed Leo's lead, biting and clawing away as I heard the controllers getting sliced beside me.

"Doesn't matter!" Leo growled a little as he kicked one in the face, and I turned to him-

(LEO!) I cried, diving over and knocking him down just as a controller fired a Dracon beam. The shot just singed my fur.

"Thanks Jade" Instantly he was up, and the controller was split in two. I cringed a little, hearing a yell and jumping out of the way as a controller swung something downwards, barely missing me. In seconds I was on him, slashing into him and moving onto the next controller.

(Serah would _kill_ me if anything happened to you) Was my quick response as I hit the last one, turning to look at Leo as he finished off his opponent.

He smiled, just before we heard another shout, both of us looking over to see at least five more controllers pop into view.

"Oh come on" Leo groaned as he lowered his katanas to his sides, looking annoyed. I coiled my legs, ready to pounce, seeing Leo raise his katanas with alot of effort it seemed, getting into a fighting stance.

We saw the controllers start to move towards us-

 _CRUNCH!_

Suddenly there were cries of agony, and in front of us, instead of controllers, there was now a truck. A not as white truck, mind you.

"Sorry I'm late" Robert's head poked out the window, looking at the two of us as we finished of what was left of them.

"No time for jokes, we gotta move"

Robert jumped out of the truck, throwing the back doors open as he shifted, and him and Leo grabbed the multiple boxes we'd grabbed, hauling them in as I kept watch, and occasionally had to take a controller down.

Leo shut the back doors, then ducked as a shot went over his head. I dove over, finishing of the idiot who'd tried to fire at him.

"We gotta move!" He and Robert jumped back into the truck, and I jumped on the roof, digging my claws in as I heard the wheels screeching, feeling the truck tip a little before finally shooting off, with me barely holding on.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

(Truck is gone) Robert said almost a little cheerily, landing on one of the larger boxes and starting to shift back.

"We heard" Leo rolled his eyes a little as Robert was now sitting on the box, jumping off it and landing beside us.

"Wake the entire neighborhood why don't you" I added, pushing him a little. Usually, I'd get a shove back, and some snarky comment.

Instead, I got a shrug and a small smirk.

"I'll try harder next time"

"Jade?" Leo turned to me, and I nodded, tapping my communicator and seeing Ithiell's face come onto screen.

"Hey, we're ready for pick up at these co-ordinates" I tapped again, sending him our location. He looked down, working away before looking back up.

"Got it. We might be a little bit, Marco's group got a little uh... trapped, so we've just gone to lend a hand. We'll come get you as soon as we're done"

"We?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. Donnie had to come with me. Some kind of electrical thing they got stuck with. All good though, we're sorting it"

"Uh, okay. Just take care" Leo said, and Ithiell nodded.

"Will do, Ithiell out"

His face was suddenly gone from the screen, and as soon as it was, I got a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Ithiell and Donnie both had to go out... which left Rtaia and Mihra still at the base. That thought should have made me feel better. But... there was a horrible nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach I just couldn't ignore.

That feeling seemed to get worse the longer we waited. Ten minutes ticked by... then twenty...

"What in the world is taking them so long?" I muttered, starting to pace.

"They probably still need to ditch the truck or something. Don't worry, they wont be too much longer" Leo put a hand on my arm, probably trying to make me stop pacing, and I just looked up at him. He must have seen the worry on my face, because his eyes narrowed.

"Jade? What's wrong?"

I sighed, closing my eyes and finally deciding to just tell him.

"Leo, I've got a terrible feeling. And the longer we stand here, the worse it gets"

"What about?"

"I just get the feeling that something is wrong back at the base. I mean..."

"Go then"

I looked back up at Leo.

"Look, if it's going to ease your mind, then go ahead, back to the base. Ithiell shouldn't be too much longer, and we'll meet you there"

"Thanks Leo" I smiled up at him, even as my mouth hardened and shot out to become a curved beak, starting to shrink.

I took to the sky, watching as the two boys waved me off, climbing higher and higher into the sky.

Then panic didn't ease one bit as I flew, my mind going through a million possibilities.

Was I just imagining it?

Would I get there and everything would be fine?

Did all my worried talks with Donnie warp my mind?

Part of me was desperately hoping it was just that, and I was just being silly and that I'd get there and everyone would be sitting around doing their own thing, and would stare at me like I was nuts. Which, I probably was...

I slowly started to repeat the scenario in my head, knowing I was probably just worrying too much, and that I'd come back and everything would be fine. No one hurt, Jake still in his cage...

The thought eased my worry only a little, knowing I'd feel better once I was there and I could see everything was fine for myself.

I started to panic again as I climbed over the last mountain, not sure what I'd come to find when I reached the base, but hoping against hope I was wrong.

I'd have to tell Serah or-

All my thoughts stopped dead, and my mind went into a small meltdown as I was finally able to see the door of the hanger.

It was open. And something was sparking halfway up the door.

(Oh no...) I dove down, flaring my wings at the last second, my mind trying to make up the story in my head that Ithiell had left it open, or it was just faulty...

As I landed, I grew quickly as I could and half running towards the doors, looking up and surprised to see one of Raph's sais in the door.

But... no, there was no way he could be here. He was on the mission...

Slowly, my eyes turned to the look into hanger itself, now stopping dead in my tracks.

It was completely destroyed.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Aaaand this is where I leave it!**_

 _ **What happened? Will you find out?**_

 _ **Only time will tell! :D**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	15. Stand Alone!

**Chapter 15  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

With shaking hands, I leaned down and grabbed my dagger from its holster, placing it in front of me and in line with my wrist as I stood up, then started moving into what was once the hanger bay.

Tables and shelves had been ripped apart, and everything that had been placed neatly on them was strewn all over the floor, some of them even snapped or crushed. I had to step carefully, shifting my eyes so I could see in the dark as I moved.

What the _hell_ had happened here?

I couldn't see anything in this room that had been left untouched. I was wondering what would have happened if the fighter _had_ been sitting in here... would it have been demolished too?

I slowly moved towards the tunnel out of here, then the stairs, jumping when I heard a thud.

I spun around, hearing another thud and not seeing anything moving in the room I had just moved through.

Another thud, and I jumped back around, wondering if it was coming from the main room.

Slowly, and as quietly as possible, I moved my shaking legs up those stairs and down the tunnel, now hearing the thudding starting to get louder. Soon, I was hearing something else... something more high pitched...

The closer I got to the main room, the louder the thudding and what I could now make out as screaming.

I finally forced my legs to run, skidding into the main room and finding a very similar kind of destruction. And then I saw the blood...

A scream shook me out of my terrible thoughts, now realising who that screamed belonged to.

Another horrible thud, and my head shot over to see the one thing I feared the most.

A polar bear... what I could only guess was Jake... was shoulder barging the door the medical bay, and every time he did, I could hear both Kristiana and Serah screaming in terror. They must have been barely holding on...

"Hey!" An anger was rising in me now, knowing Jake had gone _too_ far. He had attacked _my_ family!

I saw the polar bears head spin around, and recognition in those big eyes as he noticed me standing there.

(Just the person I wanted to _kill_!) In seconds he was barrelling towards me, and I jumped to the side, rolling and getting back on my feet as he thundered past, skidding to a stop and looking at me.

I saw the door open a crack out of the corner of my eye, but I snapped "Stay in there!" and instantly it was shut again.

(Oooh, someone sounds angry) He barrelled towards me again, but I again I dodged him, getting back up on my feet and keeping the dagger poised at the ready.

"Enough is enough Jake. I don't know what the _hell_ happened to you, or what the _hell_ is going through your head, but attacking innocent people is going _too far_!"

(That must mean your guilty of something) He countered, finding we were now circling each other. My eyes were trained on him, waiting for any sign that he would leap forward again.

"Didn't say I wasn't. But at least I know I haven't gone all _nutso_ and attacked people that couldn't defend themselves!"

(Oh, I am so hurt... not!) He suddenly reared up, coming at me again, and I barely got out of the way, swinging my dagger blindly at him and finding it had sliced deep across his flank as he went past.

He roared in pain, turning and trying to lunge at me again, but I cat rolled out of the way seeing him go headfirst into a wall.

(Cheap shot!) He snapped, turning to to me as he planted his feet wide, baring his teeth.

"So says the fucktard who is trying to attack a girl as a polar bear" I snapped, my eyes not leaving him as I wiped his blood off the blade on my jeans, then placed it in front of me again.

(All right then... let's make it even...) Slowly, he started to shrink, making me realise he was demorphing.

So, this was it then. A one on one fight between him and me.

No more fear. No more hesitation.

And no one else coming to save me.

"Jade! Are you okay?" Came the trembling voice behind the door. I realised that voice belonged to Kristiana.

"I'm good! You girls just stay in there!" I called back to them, watching as Jake started to circle again, which made me start to move myself out of his range.

"Is this better?" He snarled.

"Perfect. Now why don't you get back in the cage like a good little boy and I might take it easy on you" I responded in the same kind of tone, watching as he tried to circle closer to me, but I moved myself so I kept the same range away from him as before.

"Pfft! Fat chance! It's you and me now Jade. _No one_ is here to save you this time. And if they try... well, let's just say they'll be the first on my list of people to _kill_ "

"You _really_ think I'm going to let you do that? You're more delusional than I thought"

He suddenly stopped his circling, then smiled at me. That smile...

"Oh Jade, what would you do if your _precious_ mutant turtle was laying in front of you, in a pool of blood... and _I_ was the one that killed him?"

 _Donnie...dead..._

A terrible fear flashed through me, which was soon replaced by almost blind fury. Everything in me was telling me to run at him, to get him before he had a chance to get his hands on my beloved ninja, but then reasoning kicked in.

"You sure have a great imagination there. Tell me..." I started, smiling my own kind of smile now "...what makes you think of all these wonderful ideas?"

The smile now dropped from his face, and he stopped dead in his tracks "You really don't know? After all this time?"

"Uh, no Jake. I _don't_ know why you suddenly decided to try and _murder_ everyone that was on _your_ side"

I saw pure hatred on his faced now, and his hand moved to something, then whatever he'd grabbed came flying at me. I ducked, hearing him yell "Because I fucking loved you!"

Before I could right myself he was on me, hands now on my throat as I hit the ground. I managed to get a hard kick to his shin, then grabbed him and hauled him over my head, hearing him hit the floor. I scrambled up, realising I'd lost my dagger and just putting myself into a fighting stance, desperately looking around for where it had dropped.

Dammit! I needed it to defend myself!

In an instant he was up as well, coming at me again and his fists flying. I managed to knock away his fists each time, but then he got smart.

"Omph!" A heavy kick to the gut sent me tumbling, finding it hard to breathe as he now managed to get the upper hand, landing on me as my back hit the floor again, and he pinned me.

"You see Jade" Hands were now around my throat, and I fought to get him off me.

"All I wanted was you... and I thought we had something. But then... oh, then your stupid _creature_ got involved. It _stole_ you away from me... and you fell in _love_ with... that _thing_! What, was a _human_ not good enough for you!"

While he was talking, I saw a small glistening out of the corner of my eye, slowly started to reach out and blindly try to grab it... if I could just...

"What is _with_ you girls! You're all _disgusting_! Mutant turtles... aliens... what, is a human male not good enough, now you can morph or shift? You just need to up your game with.. with them! Just to see if you can _sleep_ with something that isn't _human_!"

I felt the tip of the handle with my fingertips, trying to move myself so I could grab it...

"Maybe... oh maybe I should do _worse_ to you than _kill_ you!"

A hand suddenly left my neck, and I felt my shirt torn open, Jake now grabbing at me roughly.

"Hey... what do you think of that Jade? Hey?"

 _Got it!_

He smiled, leaning down towards me. That smile was quickly wiped away as I shoved the dagger right into his neck, yanking it out as I threw him off me, getting up and standing over him, dagger at the ready. I sucked in air, watching as he grabbed at his neck, screaming from the pain and now looking terrified.

"I think you're more messed up than I thought for one thing. And another..." I kicked him hard in the stomach, making him cave in on himself. I was furious.

"You're a fucking _asshole_ who should be put down for even _thinking_ of doing that to a girl"

Blood was spilling between his fingers, making me wonder if I'd gotten in a fatal stab, watching as he tried to scoot himself away from me, but I kicked him hard again.

"You wanna know why I chose Donnie over you, like, really?" I leaned down, coming eye level with him, seeing the fear now in his eyes.

"Cause no matter how hard he's pushed, or what he'd loose... he wouldn't go killing his own or trying to _rape_ girls, like you" I snarled, and I saw his eye start to change colour, knowing he was trying to shift to either get away from me or survive.

"You're pathetic" I got in another kick, half watching as his morph stopped for a moment, then continued.

"Look at you, running away from me. Now _you're_ the one who's under _my_ foot"

I watched him finally complete his morph, flapping his wings hard and getting off the ground.

(I'm not afraid of you!) I watched as he flared his wings, raking his talons forward and coming at me.

I ducked, throwing a leg up and kicking him hard, watching as he hit the computer desk, things scattering. I was instantly over there, trying to hold him down.

He went to snap at me, and I jumped back, watching as he took flight again, heading for the tunnel towards the hanger.

(Now you'll suffer!) I heard him yell, now quickly moving towards the door that Serah had now opened. I wonder how long she's had it open, or how much she'd seen...

Her face was panicked, and I guessed she'd seen enough, watching her look towards the hanger.

"Jade, you're just going to let him get away! What if he... if he..."

"Who said I was going to let him get away?" I moved past her and into the medical bay, now seeing the trails of blood which lead to both Rtaia and Mihra on the floor. It looked like the girls had tried to give them first aid.

"Are they okay?" I asked as I opened a drawer, shuffling through them to find the sedative. Then I looked in the lower drawers, knowing Rtaia had something from our earlier days here still, pulling it out as well.

"Uh... yeah... he knocked them out, but we managed to stop him from doing worse and... well..." Kristiana looked upset as I loaded the sedative into a few small vials.

"We were stupid and tried to keep him from getting out... but he came after us, and... " Serah continued "I threw a sai-"

"Whatever you do, stay here... I'll be back" I patted her shoulder in assurance, smiling at Kristiana as I headed out the door, now grabbing a piece of equipment from the computer table.

"But...how are you going to find Jake... he could be anywhere by now!" Serah followed me to the tunnel, then out towards the hanger.

"Not if I have this"I brought up a tracking device, smiling "Donnie's expertise"

She just stared at me, confused and obviously upset.

"Jade, I-"

"Don't worry, I'll bring him down, one way or another"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

To my surprise, Jake really hadn't gone far. He'd landed in a familiar place in this huge forest, near a stream. And from what I could tell, he wasn't moving any time soon.

That was, unless he'd found the tracking device I'd slapped on him just before he'd broken free of me. Which was entirely possible.

Either way... it would end here. One way or another.

I was soon flying over him, and he looked up at me with weary eyes. I expected him to start running, or morph, but he didn't. Instead, he just sat there at the stream, looking out over the water.

I landed near him, shifting my leathery wings away and taking out my dagger and the dart gun, both of them aimed at him.

"I knew you'd find me" Was his only response, and I aimed the dart gun, jumping back a little as he moved to get up, turning to look at me.

"Why don't we finish this the old fashioned way, hey Jade" I saw him start to morph, and he continued "You and me, one on one, what do you think?"

"I think you're fucked in the head" Was my response, watching as he completed his tiger morph, surprised when he sat down in front of me, looking almost calm.

(Time to settle the score. Don't you think?)

"I think you need to be put out of your misery, but that's not my call to make"

(Well, if you don't shift...) He jumped at me, and I barely avoided his attack, hitting the floor. My weapons both scattered away from me, and I turned to look up at him, seeing he was now above me.

He bared his teeth, but didn't make a move to attack, which left me no choice.

I had to shift.

He slowly moved off me as my body began to grow, managing to move away from him as fur rippled across my body, ears crawling up to the sides of my head as my tail exploded out of my spine.

(Good girl, now you're finally-)

( _Don't_ even Jake. This ends here!) I snarled, finally finishing my shift and baring my teeth at him.

(For once, I agree. Your _life_ ends here!) He leaped, and I dodged out of the way, turning and half body slamming him as claws and teeth met claws and teeth.

Scratching, biting, pushing, both of us foaming at the mouth as we snapped at one another.

His jaws clamped around my back leg, and I screamed in agony, turning and slamming a frying pan sized paw at him, smacking him square in the eye. He screamed, letting go of me and jumping backwards.

ATTACK! ATTACK! ATTACK!

I know we were both starting to tire, but I didn't care. This was it, either I'd die, or I'd take him down... way or the other.

I felt claws rip into my face, and I screamed in agony, moving back and realising he'd managed to take out my eye. The pain was unimaginable, and blood was now pooling onto the ground as I fought to look at him with the other eye. Even in his tiger morph, he now looked smug.

(I think we know who's going to win this one)

(I... will... _never_...give up) I managed to get out through the pain, knowing I was loosing too much blood right now, but also knowing he wouldn't give me a chance to shift it off.

(Say goodbye to your beloved Donnie _now_... cause you _won't_ be seeing him again!) He went to leap at me, but I managed to get under him, using what power was left in my legs to explode up at him, gaining the upper hand as I now landed on him, quickly clamping my jaws around his throat.

(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) He screamed as I bit down a little harder, feeling blood trickling from his throat. This would be a fatal wound if I kept going.

(You were meant to _die!_ I was meant to _win_!) He screamed, and I managed to get myself off him, knowing he would probably bleed to death now if he didn't morph back. I shifted, watching as he stood up on all fours, blood pooling to the ground. He wavered, then I saw him start to shrink...

Just before he finished, a dart was shot into his neck, and he looked up at me in pure fear as I aimed the gun at him again, shooting him until all four darts were sticking out of his neck. I really wasn't taking any chances...

"Why won't you just _die_ " He cried weakly as he lay on the ground, the affects of the sedative starting to hit him hard.

"Not a chance" Was my response as he finally collapsed under his own weight, his eyes finally closing.

Relief flooded through me as I finally realised... I'd won. I'd beaten Jake, and I had overcome my fear of him. I'd stood alone... no backup, no one needed to save me.

I couldn't believe how good it felt.

"JADE!" I jumped instinctively, hearing a crashing sound and moving to see Serah, Donnie and Ithiell come into view, all of them looking terrified. Then, it seemed like they took in the scene in front of them. Serah must have contacted them as soon as I'd left, or they just happened to come back at the right time.

"What... happened?" Ithiell asked, looking from the unconscious Jake to me, then back to Jake again.

"Jake got his ass kicked. By _me_ " I grinned "No saving me needed"

"That's my girl" Donnie smiled at me, and I winked at him, pretending to blow the barrel of the dart gun.

I think we both knew at that point I'd be all right. I was stronger than I'd given myself credit for, and I'd just taken down the one person I had been afraid of for so long.

Oh yeah, I was awesome.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	16. Face Of The Enemy

**Chapter 16  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Both Mihra and Rtaia had lost alot of blood, so our first priority when we got back was to close up their wounds. Cassie and Donnie soon got to work, with the aid of both Serah and Kristiana. I stayed in the room, providing any extra hands when they needed it.

Once Ithiell had sorted Jake in the cage again, he went to retrieve everyone else. After a while, I could hear some small commotion outside the door, peeking my head out to see everyone pitching in to try and clean up the mess out there. I only hoped some or most of it could be salvaged after what Jake did...

Jake... from what we could see, had tried to tear the girls apart. I didn't see anywhere that wasn't covered in deep scratches or bites. He had truly gone mad... attacking people that had nothing to do with-

My thoughts were interrupted when I realised Donnie and Cassie had finally finished. It had been a grueling few hours.

"How are they?" I asked, getting up and seeing them both laying peacefully it seemed on the beds.

"They should be okay" Cassie wiped her sweaty forehead with her sleeve "Just need to give them a few hours, and watch them. We don't have anyone here that can give them a blood transfusion, which might help, but... well..."

She trailed off, looking sheepish.

"Cassie?"

"Well... I've never had to operate on an alien before, so I don't really know how their bodies work"

"I do" We all jumped as Ithiell came into the room, moving over to the beds and looking down at one then the other.

"Mom?" Serah had been near tears the whole time, and now her lower lip trembled as she looked at him.

"Their bodies should produce new blood cells fairly quickly. Females usually heal faster than us males. But... we should still keep a close eye on them"

"Guessing your blood won't help them?" I asked him, my eyes fixated on Serah. Kristiana was doing the same.

He shook his head "Unfortunately no. Sometimes I think our physiology is idiotic. Too many differences..."

"So there is nothing else we can do" Donnie said finally, looking sadly at the two unconscious females.

"We'll, from what I can see you both did well enough. They should make it through the night at least" His hand rested gently on Rtaia's arm, looking sad suddenly, before seeming to shake himself out of whatever funk he'd gotten himself in.

"Come on, go get cleaned up, and well meet back up in the main room"

We did as he suggested, finding that they had managed to salvage most of the main room. Some things had needed to be fixed, but I think the others had done a good job. Even some computers had survived, and were sitting neatly on the table.

Eventually, we all converged into the main room, collapsing onto the floor into an awkward kind of circle. Looking around at my friends, they all looked exhausted. I took a glance at Jake in the cage, glad he was still out. I half wondered what they'd do with him...

"So... what happened here exactly?" Marco finally said what we were all wondering, eyeing Jake in the cage.

"Well..." Kristiana looked almost scared, sharing a look with Serah, who sighed.

"Mom and Rtaia noticed Jake was stirring, so they thought they'd sedate him again. They opened the cage, and..."

"Jake grabbed Mihra and locked his arm around her neck"

"How the _hell_ did he get free of those chains?" Raph asked, looking from one girl to the other. He looked beyond pissed. Thankfully, the girls were now both used to his outbursts, and neither took it personally.

Kristiana shrugged "I wish I could tell you. But... he had Mihra, and when Rtaia went to stop him-"

"He punched her, then threw mom to the ground and morphed before we could stop him. Then he... then he..." Tears brimmed in Serah's eyes, and before I could blink both Ithiell and Leo were on either side of her, comforting her. She dug her head in Leo's shoulder, and Leo looked to Ithiell.

"He tore strips off both of them. They fought back, but he...well, he..." Kristiana shook her head, and I saw a very concerned Mikey at her side, a hand on her shoulder.

"We...tried...so...hard...to...stop him" Serah got out through sobs "He...was...too strong... he..."

"We threw things, we screamed... he just kept attacking. Then... he tried to get to us, but we got into one of the rooms. Then... he went to leave..."

"And I..." Serah moved to look at us, looking both upset and angry "So I grabbed one of Raph's spare sais he'd left in the hanger... threw it as he opened the doors..."

"Thanks for wrecking the door by the way" Ithiell muttered under his breath, but the girls didn't seem to notice.

"But then he came after us" Kristiana picked up again "I got Mihra and Rtaia into the medical bay as she went after him, but then Serah came screaming back through the door. We locked it... the hinges were starting to break when Jade showed up..."

"The door felt like it was literally about to fall apart... and I... I couldn't think of anything to shift to..." Serah's eyes were now staring at nothing it seemed, fear in her eyes.

"Hey" I got her attention, moving over and putting a hand on her shoulder, watching as she looked blearily up at me.

"Don't worry, you'll get there. I'm just glad I followed my gut instinct and came back when I did"

"I think we're all relieved you did" Robert said, and I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking up to see him smiling down at me.

"If Jade had been any later..."

"And then the idiot tried to get killed!" Serah sobbed out loud, suddenly jumping up and grabbing my shirt by the collar and shaking me roughly.

"Whoa, hey-"

"What were you t _hinking?!_ Going up against a _polar_ bear with a _tiny knife!_ What-"

"Ser-"

She shook me again, finding she had a strong grip. Leo and Robert both tried to pry her loose, but she kept going.

"And then you went _after_ him on your _own_! Oh I could _kill_ you!"

"Pleasdon't" I managed to get out through the shaking, before the boys were finally able to dislodge her, Leo taking her wrists gently.

"No one is killing anyone... at least not right now" I saw Ithiell turn to look at Jake, and I think everyone else followed his gaze.

"So... what do we do with him? We can't just leave him" Donnie asked, although I noticed alot of anger was gone from his voice.

"We should drug him again, then put him outside somewhere. That way if he escapes..." Marco trailed off, looking worried.

"Maybe the top of the mountain. Might keep him out of our hair-"

"But what if he breaks out and comes back to try and att-"

"Fixed that problem" Ithiell interrupted Serah, and the two of them shared a look. She looked confused.

"I had a little trouble fixing the door, but now it is there is no way he can get in without one of my devices"

"Well, if we are going to do this, I suggest from now on we leave here in at least twos, with those medical monitors that Donnie made" Leo piped up, sharing a look with his brother "That way if anything happens, we can be out there without hesitation"

"I'll need to hook up the computers again" Donnie glanced over at the blank monitors, looking like he was dreading having to set them all up again.

"For now, we all rest, and I mean all of us" Ithiell looked around our tired group "Jake will be out for a while, and I will sleep in the medical bay to keep an eye on the girls, in case anything happens"

"Ithiell-"

He shook his head at me "No, Jake won't get out of there this time. Even if we wake up and the cage looks empty... no one open it. As well as fixing the door, I've also strengthened that force field. He won't be going anywhere... at least for tonight"

"Yeah, but he's sneaky" I muttered.

"If it's all right with you, I might take the couch out here, just in case" Marco folded his arms as he glared at the unmoving form in the cage.

"Up to you" Ithiell shrugged "Everyone else, get some rest... we'll need to get planning as of tomorrow... no more delays"

"Agreed" Leo looked almost determined, and I noticed Serah had finally buried her face in his chest, unmoving. I half wondered if she was all right, but the rest of me knew Leo would take care of her.

"All right, goodnight everyone"

With that, we all separated and went into our rooms, Marco plopping down on one of the couches and getting settled.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-

Surprisingly, I felt I'd slept fairly well that night. No bad dreams, no jerking awake every few minutes...

I think confronting Jake had been the one thing I needed the most. And I think it gave Donnie some relief as well.

We both went through the morning routine as we usually did, with the others bustling around us as we took our hot drinks out to the computer table, where Donnie was going to try and fix the monitors.

"This took a long time before, I don't know how long it'll take now that I've lost half the equipment" He said as he set his coffee down, rubbing his tired eyes.

I turned my attention to the cage, finding Jake was still out. The chains were back around him, but I had a feeling not even Marco cared what happened to him at this point. He'd now tried to kill not only me, but the girls as well.

Speaking of Marco, I found he was still sprawled out on the couch he'd chosen last night, hearing a slight snore still coming from him.

"Just tell me what I can help with" I told Donnie finally as I turned back to him, taking a large sip of my tea.

"Just... be here" He smiled down at me, one hand going to my hair and stroking it gently. I smiled up at him over my mug.

He moved forward, kissing my forehead, before taking a big gulp of his coffee and moving to start fixing the monitors.

We fell into a casual conversation, with Donnie mostly muttering about problems he was facing, and how we were going to re-connect to the Yeerk communications, and I provided the calm and positive support whenever I could.

Ithiell soon came out of the medical bay, with good news about Mihra and Rtaia. They would both be okay, and Rtaia had even regained consciousness for a little while. Mihra was still out, but Ithiell was confident she'd wake up as well. Both were still hurt, but to know that they would recover was a relief for everyone.

Serah went and sat in the medical bay, and Ithiell moved into the kitchen as we started to smell what I hoped was breakfast.

"How you guys doing?" I looked up from what Donnie was doing to see Amanda there, sitting on the edge of the table next to me.

"Still a fair way from being operational" Donnie told her, shuffling around still.

"You'll get there, my love" I put a hand on his arm, and he smiled down at me, before continuing what he was doing.

"Jade" I turned to Amanda, surprised to see her smiling.

"I'm so proud of you"

I blinked. Amanda was-

"I think we're both proud of her" Donnie muttered, not stopping what he was doing.

"Um"

"You haven't been yourself for so long, and even though... we were... I even felt it when we came here" She seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"She's right"

"Donnie!" I scolded, before turning back to Amanda. I went to say something, but she beat me to it.

"Jake really wrecked your mind, after he started going all weird on us... which only got worse the more jealous he got of Donnie. But now... hes..." She indicated to the cage, going to say something else, but this time I interrupted her.

"I had to protect my family. At any cost"

"Not at the cost of your own life, I hope" Donnie muttered, looking over to see he was standing over a monitor, fiddling with something on the back of it.

"Uh...no. But he had to be stopped... I wasn't going to let him hurt Serah, or Kristiana... or..." I bit my lip, looking up at him and finding he had stopped what he was doing, looking at me.

"Or?"

"Or you. He threatened to come after you, and there was no way in hell I'd let him get to you, ever"

"Awwww, that's so sweet" Suddenly I found I was being hugged, gently patting Amanda's arm.

"I can defend myself against... _him_ " The last word he said with disgust, moving his attention back to what he was doing.

"Well I'm not going to take that chance. I don't..." I stopped, feeling Amanda let go of me and turning to look up at her. She read my expression, winking a little and moving to head towards the kitchen, where the others were.

"Don't what?" He asked, still fiddling with the monitor.

I sighed, finally saying "I don't want to loose you, the thought of you laying dead on the floor..."

Before I knew it my head was being lifted, staring into those beautiful green eyes that I loved so dearly, seeing a small smile on his face.

"I will never leave you"

"Good" We shared a sweet kiss, before I pushed him away so he could get back to work. The look in his eyes though... he was now thinking of something else...

"Well, breakfast will be a while. Mikey is in the kitchen with the girls" Ithiell was suddenly there, smiling a little from Donnie to me.

I managed to move just enough so he could get in and soon I was watching the two braniacs work at it, muttering things to each other I couldn't understand.

"Aha!" Ithiell cried in triumph, seeing the monitors all light up again. He and Donnie shared a look, both giggling. They sounded like excited little girls.

"We did it" Donnie looked relieved, going and sitting on the chair next to Ithiell, seeing them both now working on a computer each. Monitors were now flashing madly as I stood behind Donnie, hands on his shoulders.

"So, what next boys?" I asked them, squeezing Donnie's shoulders gently.

"Well, we need to-"

"You all need to get your asses into the dining room" Rachel suddenly appeared in the doorway, a smirk on her face.

"What, why? Is something wrong?" I asked her, glancing over at Jake, who looked to still be unconscious. Couldn't be about-

"Yeah! We're all hungry and tired of waiting for you" She grinned crazily now, seeing Robert now beside her.

"Yeah, come on!"

"Oh? Oh! Breakfast!" It suddenly clicked with me as Ithiell got up, followed by Donnie as we all went into the dining room.

"Foooood!" Mikey giggled, as we all dug in, getting what we wanted.

"No food fights" Leo said as he handed Serah a piece of toast, which she took with a smile.

"Gotcha. Eat food, don't throw it" Marco grabbed some scrambled eggs, looking hungry. I wondered what kind of food they had at the valley...

Surprisingly, the talk around the table turned positive, and there was a few laughs here and there. Even Serah seemed to be in brighter spirits today, cuddling into Leo, who didn't seem to mind the attention.

"Ax!" Tobias cried out as our crazy blue alien, who had morphed into a human to join us, shoved his whole face into the plate he had, trying to eat that way. Him and Marco had to pull him back up, seeing his eyes had turned wide.

"Settle down Ax, we need to save-"

A strange beeping sound got all our attention. We all looked from one to another, wondering if maybe it was someones phone, or-

The beep sounded again, and Ithiell's eyes went wide.

"That's coming from the computers!" Donnie jumped up, knocking his chair over, and in seconds Ithiell had followed him.

The rest of us looked at one another, confused, before following them cautiously.

"It's a Yeerk broadcast! But... we haven't..." Donnie and Ithiell were both at the computers, typing furiously as things flashed across the screen, and then came another beep.

"It's a looped message. It seems to be coming in on only the channels we were monitoring before. But..." Ithiell looked just as confused as Donnie was.

"How? You guys didn't even finish setting-"

"Could be linked through the fighter's system. It's the only way I can... " Ithiell trailed off, and we all went silent again.

"You got it?"'

"No, I... hang on"

"There!"

Suddenly a screen lit up, and my jaw dropped when I saw the face.

"Andalites" Came the voice from the screen, all of us letting out sounds of surprise as the face now came into focus.

It was Visser Three.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	17. Unlikely Allies

**Chapter 17  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

We all stood stock still, staring at the screen as the message repeated itself over and over. I don't think any of us could believe our eyes... or our ears.

"Andalites!" He boomed in what seemed to be a normal voice over the broadcast, which made it sound even stranger.

"I know you will receive this! I request an alliance with you! I will be at the following co-ordinates. I am aware you will believe this is a trap, so I have retrieved the families of the human females you have with you" He moved to show both Serah and Kristiana's families, then continued "We will wait for two days at the mentioned coordinates"

Then it repeated again.

"But... why would he send a message on a Yeerk frequency?" Amanda finally said what we were all thinking.

"At least my mom and dad look like they're okay" Kristiana spoke up, and I saw tears brimming in her eyes. She must have missed them dearly...

"We have to go get them!" Serah cried "My dad... my brothers... they're..."

"It's clearly a trap" Marco growled "How _stupid_ does he think we are?"

"Everyone, settle!" Leo demanded, sharing a look with Ithiell "We aren't doing anything just yet, not until we figure out what's going on"

"Agreed" Ithiell nodded, looking back up at the looping message on the screen.

"Maybe April... I mean Visser Two... mentioned something about the frequencies?" I offered, my eyes still half on Kristiana and Serah. Serah seemed to about to loose it, starting to pace. Kristiana...

Kristiana was always one to keep how she felt or any problems to herself mostly. To see her looking like she wanted to break down meant it was really getting to her. She must have been so upset and torn, seeing her parents and little sister again on that screen.

"That's definitely a good possibility" Rachel frowned a little "I mean, its not like we told anyone else we were listening in on them"

"But... if he knows _we_ can hear it... surely he's aware so can the other Vissers!" Marco looked angry now.

"So... could he be trying to trap them too?"

"Guys, think about it" Robert spoke up "You said you hadn't heard a peep from Visser Three in a very long time... maybe something happened where he's been... I dunno, booted... from their ranks or something?"

"Well, Yeerks _do_ have a way of turning on each other... and quickly" Cassie shrugged, looking just as wary as the rest of us.

"Even if we trust this message is genuine, how can we believe that he wont turn on us?" Tobias looked at Ax, who was now demorphing.

(I do not believe we should trust anything Visser Three says. It is clearly some sort of trap)

"Dudes, what if hes just like... mad about getting kicked from the big leagues and just wants some, like... payback?" Mikey suggested, and we all looked at him. He had a surprisingly serious face on for him.

"Sometimes... you scare me bro" Raph slapped his back a little. His response was a goofy grin.

"Well, Mikey actually has a point" Marco looked from him to Ithiell "Plus, we really haven't heard anything from Visser Three for over six months. It's all been reports about Visser One's activities, and then... well, now... Visser Two"

"So what could have happened to him? Demoted?" Amanda suggested "Maybe even on the run cause he didn't want to give up his body?"

"Plausible" Ithiell muttered, turning back to the screen "But... the question still remains... why on the Yeerk frequencies?"

"Is he trying to piss them off somehow? To like... show them he's still got some power?" I shrugged, not knowing what else it could be.

"Donnie, Ithiell" Leo spoke up "Could that message have some sort of virus, to get into our systems and find out where we are?"

I saw Donnie and Ithiell share a glance, before both were back at the computers, working away again.

After a few tense minutes, they both stopped, looking back at all of us.

"No, we haven't found any subroutines or... well... anything suspicious. Not even in the co-ordinates" Donnie shifted his glasses, looking confused.

"So... what do we do?"

"We have to get my dad and brothers!" Serah cried, almost pleading with Leo and Ithiell. I saw Leo put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close as he spoke to her.

"We will. But this time... it could be a trap, and they could be trying-"

"Leo, my mom is unconscious and my dad could be-"

"Serah" Ithiell moved to stand in front of the two "You need to listen to us. If this is a trap... it could be the end of all of us. Even you... even Leo. Do you want Leo to be hurt?"

She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks "No, but-"

"We need to think this through carefully, okay? Just know... no matter what... as part of your family, I will make sure we get them back safe"

She nodded, staying quiet, and Ithiell turned back to us.

"Suggestions anyone?"

"I suggest we take precautions" Marco.

"We should go and do some recon first. It's possible, that even if this isn't a trap, the Yeerks could still probably converge on the location... wherever it is" Robert.

"It's in an abandoned warehouse, from what I can tell" Donnie was working away again "Big place, could be-"

"Unless... we could go in looking like a smaller group than we actually are" Rachel smiled, her face lighting up. I think Raphael got the idea, grunting as he smirked as well.

"That could work. But..." Ithiell now turned to the cage "We need to sort _him_ first, and make sure this place is secure. Also, we need to choose the right people to go into the warehouse first"

"I think we do recon before anything" Leo sounded determined.

Ithiell nodded "You're right"

"So it'll be... chuck Jake outside" Marco was checking them off on his fingers again "Make sure anyone we leave behind is safe, choose teams for recon and then for the first encounter. And hold everyone else back, just in case we need to mount a rescue mission"

Leo and Ithiell both nodded.

"We really are insane" I muttered.

-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After some preparations, and making sure that the girls and Splinter would all be safe while we were gone, Donnie fixed us all up with those little medical monitors on our necks, and the rest of us piled into the fighter... after dealing with the Jake matter.

"Remember... do not leave the lair unless it's an emergency" Leo hugged Serah, who looked reluctant to let him go, seeing her nod.

"I'll be back soon babe" Mikey ruffled Kristiana's hair, and she sighed, instead grabbing his shoulders and giving him a quick kiss. Before she pulled back though, she yanked at his bandanna, making it half fall over his eyes. He whined a little, and I watched in amusement as Mikey fixed his bandanna and Kristiana patted her hair down.

"You be safe sweetheart" She finally said, and he nodded, joining us in the fighter.

"I still can't believe we're doing this" Rachel muttered, sharing a look with Marco and then Tobias. Leo finally finished saying goodbye to Serah, entering the fighter last before turning to wave at the others standing there.

"We will be waiting for your safe return, my sons and daughters" Splinter nodded respectfully, and we all nodded back in return.

Soon, the hatch shut, and I saw the doors to the hanger open, Ithiell gently moving outside, waiting for the doors to finally close again.

"I just hope Jake can't get in there" I muttered, worrying about the girls and Splinter. Now Mihra and Rtaia were out of commission, Splinter was the only one there who had half a chance of fighting Jake, and after seeing what he'd done to two-

"I'll be monitoring their life signs the whole way there and back" Donnie assured me, and I moved up to stand beside him.

"Don't worry, we have a plan in place if Jake does get out again" Ithiell said, his eyes narrowed as the fighter finally picked up speed, and I watched as Donnie entered the co-ordinates into the console in front of him.

"Destination entered"

"Cloaking" Ithiell rose higher into the sky, tapping something above his head and seeing a small shimmer just outside the window in front of us. The sun was starting to set slowly, and we all fell into a short silence as we moved higher above the treeline.

"I really hope this isn't just one big trap" I heard Cassie mutter.

"Don't worry... if it is, _we'll_ be the first ones to find out" Robert sounded almost cheerful, and I turned back to see him put an arm around her shoulders, smiling almost happily.

"You know, that's not very comforting" Amanda shook her head.

"Robert, you shouldn't even joke about that" I told him "I don't want you guys to... well..."

"We won't, don't worry" Now he came over to me, a strange gleam in his eyes "I'm not going anywhere for a while, anyway"

"Well that's a relief" I half leaned back on Donnie's shell, hearing him grunt a little, but not say anything else "Last thing we want is to loose you guys"

"Agreed. Don't take any risks you don't think you can handle alone. We don't know what Visser Three has planned" Ithiell added, his eyes still locked on his tasks.

"We're almost there" Donnie announced, and I moved out from behind him, all of us now on alert.

"I'll do a fly by and a quick scan" Ithiell started "Just to get a basic idea of the place, then Amanda and Robert can do recon"

"Sounds like a plan" Robert cracked his knuckles, then starting to shift with Amanda.

I saw Ithiell fly over the warehouse, both Donnie and Ithiell's fingers flying madly over the controls. Soon, an image popped up over the screen in front of us, looking like a blueprint of the building. The two were working furiously. Then, something else layered over the top of it, and I could see almost like little figures moving around in it.

"There are several heat signatures, one seems to be Visser Three" I heard Donnie say, watching as the figures moved around.

"Looks like Visser Three got a few more people in there. Probably more controllers" Ithiell muttered, not sounding happy.

"Could be loyal followers? Or other people hes... 'saved'?" Rachel made gestures with her fingers, and I knew she didn't believe that message was genuine any more than Marco did.

"Wait... what's going on down there" Leo suddenly moved forward, looking past them to something outside.

Instantly the blueprint was gone, and we could see what looked like several other figures starting to creep up to the warehouse, weapons in hand.

"I think the other Yeerks got the message" Donnie scratched his head, suddenly feeling the fighter shoot upwards, seeing Ithiell tapping away.

"Best to keep away from this fight... if, it actually _is_ a fight" The blueprint came up again, and we watched as the little figures run around, looking like they noticed the ones outside. The ones outside started to fire, and to I think all our surprise, the ones inside were firing back.

I saw one or two inside fall, seeing more outside start to fall.

"Shouldn't we help? I mean... what if they hurt one of-"

"No" Ithiell cut Cassie off "We need to keep out of this one"

"Look at that!" Mikey pointed at the screen, and we all saw the little figure of Visser Three start to grow.

"Oh no... it looks like that fireball creature" Marco grumbled, seeing the larger figure now arc one of what looked like many heads back, starting to fire.

"Yep, it's that fireball creature" Rachel folded her arms, looking as unhappy as Marco did.

Soon the fight turned, and the intruders were soon taken down.

(Elred!) The Vissers Voice suddenly boomed in our heads (Make sure the families are not hurt!)

"What the...does he know we're here?" Raph looked surprise, holding one side of his head.

"No... hes just an arrogant idiot" Marco told him, watching as the figures now run around the warehouse, some of them huddled into one section.

(Good!) Came the voice again a few minutes later (If this alliance is to work they need to be kept unharmed!)

"I think he just loves to hear himself talk" I added, sharing a look with Marco.

(I agree) Ax seemed to sigh a little.

"Well..." Ithiell turned to all of us, his attention now on Robert and Amanda "You're up"

(On it Boss!) Robert said cheerily.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I looked up at the now massive warehouse in front of me, suddenly not feeling as confident as I had when I'd offered to be part of the first contact.

It had been decided that Leo, Ithiell and Marco would be part of the first contact with the Visser. I offered to come along because I knew both Serah and Kristiana's families, and knew it would help them to see a familiar face.

We were all wearing an earpiece, so we could keep in contact with the others up in the fighter, as well as give them a way to hear what was happening down here.

"So... do we knock?" I asked Ithiell, seeing him send me a 'shut-up' look.

We kept moving until we were at the door, seeing Leo reach for his Katana's beside me.

"Just beat down the door" I heard Rachel suggest through my earpiece. If the situation hadn't been so tense, I would have rolled my eyes at her.

"I got this" Marco stepped forward, surprised when he started to morph, placing his growing gorilla fist on the door.

He finally finished his morph, and I jumped when he thumped hard on the door.

(Visser Three!) He boomed, almost as loud as the Visser himself had (We come to speak to you!)

It was a tense few seconds, before the double doors finally opened, seeing Visser Three at the other side of the room, with the families nearby. I could see several controllers, both human and Hork-Bajir, scattered through the warehouse. Two human controllers had been the ones to pull the doors open.

(Enter Andalites!)

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean..." I heard Cassie trail off, looking up at Leo, then over at Ithiell, who both nodded at me.

(How do we know this isn't a trap, Visser!) Marco boomed back at him.

(Weapons down, everyone!) He suddenly commanded, seeing everyone drop their weapons. He surprised us again when he started to morph, ending up as a human of all things.

He spread his arms wide, smiling a little "Please, do as you wish Andalites. My people and I are now unarmed"

"Let's do this" Ithiell was finally the one to step forward, walking into the warehouse, and we had no choice but to all follow him.

It was then that Visser Three's eyes turn to me, and I saw recognition on his now human features.

"You are the human Visser One let escape, are you not?"

"I do not believe that is the reason why we're here, Visser Three" Leo deflected before I could open my mouth.

"Ah... a turtle as well. So, you have... representatives... from each party... how _delightful_ "

"Why did you send that message?" Ithiell asked, all of us now jumping a little as we heard the doors shut behind us.

"Don't worry guys, I've got the weapons trained on that roof... if he tries anything..." Donnie trailed off, and I think it calmed all of us a little, knowing our backup was ready for any slip ups.

"Well... as you have obviously heard in the message, I request an alliance"

(But why send it on Yeerk channels? Why did you-)

"Because, my dear Andalite, Visser Two's information stated that yourself and the creatures called the turtles were listening in on specific wavelengths. I thought I would use the opportunity to send a message that way, in hopes you would receive it, and it seems you did"

"Didn't you realise that every other Yeerk would now be after you for this? Or did you want to use them for back up in your moment of triumph?" I could hear that Leo was itching to pull out his Katanas, but restrained himself.

Visser Three suddenly laughed, and everyone's attention was now on him.

"Foolish creatures! I have been banished by my bretherin! Even if I wanted to, I could not rejoin their ranks now! I was made a mockery by you and those _idiotic_ female Vissers!"

"And how do we know you're telling the truth?" Ithiell folded his arms in front of him, his tail twitching slightly.

"I admire your distrust, Changeling" Visser Three laughed again, pointing a finger at him "It is what keeps us both _alive_ "

"So?"

"We've been fighting our fellow Yeerks since we sent that broadcast" Came the voice of a female controller not far from us. She looked a little pale, and I could only guess she knew it was only a matter of time.

"Because now... no matter what happens... myself and my few loyal followers will starve in another day or so"

(So you figured you would side with us? Why?)

He suddenly looked sad, which surprised all of us, before he finally said something that had us all almost believing him.

"Because you Andalites have bested me at every turn, and now...when you allied with your turtle friends and the changelings... you thwarted even the great Visser One's horrid plans"

"Jade" I jumped when I heard my name, surprised to see Serah's dad approach me, stopping about five feet away and eyeing my three companions.

"I know you don't believe him, and I wouldn't either, especially when none of us have anything to loose"

I eyed him warily "So, it's still the Yeerk I'm talking to then. Is Serah's dad okay?"

"Yes. He's fine. I never wanted to hurt him, or anyone else. I just... we all just wanted to be able to see, to move... to talk..."

"And did you ever consider the _people_ who's heads you're in? That all _they_ want to do is to see with their own _eyes_ , to move their own _hands_ -"

"We're getting off topic here" Ithiell interrupted me.

"So... will you accept our offer to be allies?"

(Depends what you want in return, _Yeerk_ ) Marco sneered.

"To live, of course"

"He'll turn on you the second you agree to this! Or... at some other point!"

"Shush Rachel" Amanda's voice through the earpiece again "Let them handle it"

(Rachel, we're aware that he will. We just need to play this the right way) Marco said to the group only, looking at Ithiell, who looked up at him.

"So, what are you going to do after you... help us exactly" Leo asked, his hands balled into fists.

"Why, leave of course. I will take the pool ship and-"

"Nope, sorry, that isn't happening" Ithiell cocked his head a little "We need that ship to retake our world"

Visser Three seemed cut, but then his eyes lit up again.

"Perhaps you will allow us a cruiser ship then. We need a ship with a pool, and if you do not let us take that ship, another should be acceptable to you"

I saw Marco, Leo and Ithiell all share a look, then hearing Ax pipe up in our earpieces (Perhaps we could disable the ships weapons systems before they leave, so they could be harmless to us?)

(That's a good idea Ax) Marco said, looking at Ithiell again, who nodded slightly.

"All right Visser, you have a deal... but you move on _our_ terms, understood? We will use you as we see fit"

"I agree to your terms, now... will you take the humans families?"

"Not until all the Yeerks are out of their heads" I perked up, seeing Ithiell look at me out of the corner of my eye as I continued "We still don't trust you won't betray us as soon as we turn our backs, and we need to make sure that they are safe and _free_ before we take them anywhere"

(Nice move Jade) Marco spoke privately to me, looking up at the Visser. He was clearly annoyed, but nodded anyway.

"Andalites, believe me, I dislike this as much as you do. But I... _we_... must survive, and an alliance is the only way I see that happening"

"Uh...guys.. I'm picking up some really weird readings..." Donnie's voice in my ear suddenly had me on edge, even as I watched both families tip their heads towards a small bucket of water, seeing the Yeerks clearly falling out of each of their heads.

"Jade" Serah's dad finally came to me, looking a little shaky, but smiling at me as he put his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" I looked straight into his eyes, trying to catch even a hint of hurt or torture in his eyes. I was surprised to find none there... at least none that they could see.

"Jade honey, they're telling the truth, but... well, they did forget to mention someone else they have been uh... dealing with" Kristiana's mom came up to me now, looking worn but still strong and determined.

"Oh yes, my.. apologies" He smiled again, moving to the side and we could now see a shadow behind him. I heard Leo gasp as a figure now emerged from the shadow.

"Now, please don't be alarmed, he would like our... bretherin... _gone_ as much as we do. And he _has_ been a valuable ally over the last twenty four hours. He is... well, he has been the one to help us gather equipment to send out our message"

"It...can't... be..." Leo muttered, almost to himself, and we all looked up at him. If turtles could turn a paler shade of green, he was sure turning that shade now.

"Leo, you okay big guy?" I asked him, putting a hand on his arm. As soon as I did though, it seemed to shock him out of whatever he had been in, and he grabbed his katanas, unsheathing them and getting into a fighting stance.

"Leo, who is it?" Raph now, and I could hear Donnie make a strangled sound.

"It's the Shredder"

"Wait...what?" My jaw dropped, looking at this person. It now dawned on me, as I looked at the armor of this person. It looked just how the turtles had described to me so many times...

I grabbed my dagger, unsheathing it and holding it in front of me, my eyes now trained on this new threat.

"But I thought the Shredder was dead?" I could see Ithiell looking from us to the Shredder "He fell from the-"

"He did. I don't... I don't know how he's here now" Leo told him, lowering his stance a little, suddenly hearing a deep laugh coming from under that helmet.

"Leo, are you okay? I'm coming down there" I heard Raph grunt, then Donnie yell "No, don't!"

I heard a struggle between the two as the Shredder now fixated his eyes on me, and I suddenly felt small. From what the boys had told me, this guy was pretty deadly...

"I did not come to fight you strange little human, or you... turtle. I have...other... concerns"

"Did he really just say that?" Donnie asked, and it sounded like him and Raph had stopped for the moment, just listening.

"I don't trust you" Leo said from beside me, finding this big metal maniac still seemed to be focused on me.

"I see...the _rat_... has now attempted to train a silly _child_... how humorous"

"So... what _is_ your concern _tin man_?" I asked him, knowing my tiny little dagger probably wouldn't do anything to that shiny armor of his, but it was better than nothing right now.

"These _pathetic_ creatures that are the _Yeerks_ have taken over _my_ empire. I want them _destroyed_ "

(Ithiell man... what do we do? It's getting a little tense here...) Marco shifted uncomfortably.

"All right, everyone, weapons away and you two back up" Ithiell now stepped in between the four of us, making us all look at him.

"And what are you going to do, _little_ alien?" Shredder boomed again, almost looking down at Ithiell. Ithiell himself didn't seem phased one bit.

"If you really want to be a part of this take back of the city, then we will meet tomorrow night at a new location. And you two will come alone, no... minions" He pointed from Visser Three, to the Shredder.

(You know, Visser Three is slightly unnerving when he's being agreeable) I heard Tobias say.

(He's being _too_ nice)

(Wouldn't you be, if your only chance at living was siding with your worst enemy?)

(So he's just _playing_ nice?)

(Exactly. He's just trying to grin and bear it. He's still the arrogant prick we've always known and loved) Marco finally said, looking at Leo and I, who were still in fighting stances.

"And where do you suggest we meet, Changeling?" Visser Three now spoke up, standing beside Shredder.

"We shouldn't trust them, they're up to something" Rachel said as Ithiell asked for a map, and in seconds it was in his hands.

"Here" He pointed, almost without looking at the map, seeing the two of them looking closely.

"This is acceptable" Shredder almost nodded, which looked strange. I shared a look with Leo. He still wasn't ready to put his katanas away.

"You both come here, alone, or the deal is off. Visser, I am aware you only have one more day until your cycle ends, so you need to be ready to move at a moments notice. Shredder... if you touch a hair on-"

" _Foolish_ creature! I would not jeopardize the only chance I have to rid this place of... _his_...kind..." He pointed to the Visser, who almost glared back at him.

So, those two weren't exactly on the happiest of terms either. Good to know.

"As I was saying, one wrong move, and the deal is off. We will discuss the plan tomorrow night, and you will need to both be ready. If _either_ of you even _think_ of trying to betray us..." He let that hang in the air, moving away from them and half shoving the map back in the hands of the controller who gave it to him.

" _Damn_ my man is _sexy_ when he's in control"

"Amanda" I heard the others groan as Leo finally sheathed his katanas, and I put my dagger away.

"All right, we're out... let's move" With the families next to us, we all started to slowly back towards the door, half hearing the controllers there open them for us to leave .

"We will be there" Visser Three started to demorph as we reached the doors, continuing to back up slowly.

"Farewell _puny_ creatures, we will meet again"

We didn't make a move to turn around until those doors were shut and we all bolted out of eyesight of the warehouse, guiding the families behind another set of buildings.

"Do you ever get the feeling everything is about to go horribly wrong?" Marco asked, now human, looking up as the fighter started to descend down towards us.

"Uh, well... we just agreed to team up with probably two of the _worst_ people we could find" I said to him, looking at Leo "We are _all_ kinds of screwed"

"Don't worry, I have a plan" Ithiell said confidently as we all finally entered the fighter, the hatch shutting behind us.

"Yep, we're boned" Robert muttered.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **What do you guys think? Huh? HUH?!**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	18. Reunions and Secrets

**A/N; I apologise if this chapter isn't the best I've written, I've been terribly sick and I've tried my best to write this chapter. Please R &R and let me know what you think anyway. Thanks :) **

**Chapter 18  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

The girls reuinion with their parents and siblings would be sweet but short lived. A plan was now being put into place on the way back, and we all needed to start working on it... and fast.

I could see them waiting for us as we entered the hanger bay, after making sure Jake wasn't out of his cage. The girls looked both worried as they stood beside Splinter, and what we could now see was Mihra and Rtaia. They both looked a little wobbly, but better than they had been.

Ithiell landed the fighter as the hanger doors slammed shut, and the hatch slowly opened. I could see the parents were looking relieved, probably knowing their girls were safe and sound.

As soon as Serah's dad spotted the rest of his family, he smiled in relief, moving to head out towards the two, who were eagerly waiting for him.

"Dad!" Serah cried, running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her.

"Oh my little girl" He returned the hug just as tightly, then moved to hug Mihra, who winced a little.

"What happened to you?" He asked, but she just shook her head.

"Later dear"

Soon Serah's brothers were there too, and there needed to be a short explanation before they were all hugging one another.

While all this was happening Kristiana's parents had both wrapped her in a tight hug, and soon her little sister was there too, who she pulled in close.

"Oh baby girl, we were so scared we'd lost you" I heard her mum cry into Kristiana's hair, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm fine mom, really" I could see tears were also falling down Kristiana's cheeks, her lower lip trembling as she pulled her little sister closer to her, and I could hear the little girl let out a small sob.

The rest of us slowly moved around them, out of the fighter, and towards the tunnel into the main room. Eventually, everyone converged into the main room, with the girls still holding tight to their families.

And I couldn't blame them. I half wondered how my parents and siblings were, knowing I'd barely had any contact with them in the last few months. Which was probably for the best. The last thing I wanted was them worrying about all the things we'd gotten up to.

"All right girls, you have two hours. The rest of us will be back soon" Ithiell indicated we go into Donnie's lab, and we all moved towards the room.

"Hey, wait!" I saw a blur out of the corner of my eye, all of us turning and stopping in our tracks as we saw Serah's hand on Ithiell's arm.

"What happens after two hours?"

He smiled at her, patting the hand that was on his arm "Just take care of your dad and brothers, relax, and maybe get them something to eat. We'll be back soon"

"Hey wait-"

"We'll discuss it later, just spend time with your dad and brothers" Leo patted her arm gently, before ushering the rest of us into the lab.

"But-" Kristiana was cut off as Ithiell closed the door behind us.

"So... what, we're taking the girls out of here?" I asked, looking from Leo to Ithiell. They hadn't mentioned anything about this on the way back-

"We don't really have a choice" Marco spoke up, folding his arms and leaning against the wall near the door.

"But, the base-"

"We can't leave them here, not again" Ithiell now "After what happened with Jake the last time, we just... can't take that chance"

"What about Mihra and myself?" Rtaia asked, and I noticed she was half leaning on Ax, who was helping keep her upright.

"We'll need you, but you'll be hanging back for this one"

I took that moment to have a quick look around the room, finding it was only a little squashed. I saw so many different faces, but all of them looking as confused as I felt. Ithiell really hadn't given that much about his plan away.

"All right braniac" Raph started, stepping forward "What's this plan of yours?"

Ithiell just smiled, looking at each one of us in turn.

"I _hate_ when you do that" Amanda muttered.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

My brain felt it was about to explode after those two hours. Ithiell's idea had so many holes, all of which Leo and Marco picked at, and the rest of us tried to fill them in with our thoughts and ideas. It would come down to each and every one of us to do our part. Even our... unusual... allies.

I had a feeling the Shredder and Visser Three would betray us, so we had worked our plan around that scenario. There was no way the Animorphs arch nemesis and the turtles biggest threat would follow our plan to the letter, so we had worked out a counter measure for each. Both of which Rachel and Raphael seemed to eagerly agree with.

I walked out of Donnie's lab, half holding my head and looking around the main room, hearing something plates clinking and clunking in the kitchen of all places, the girls muttering before I saw their heads both pop out the door.

"The Animorphs and I will get back to the valley, we'll meet you there" Marco and the others walked off, as both Kristiana and Serah came out into the main room, looking at all of us.

"So, what's going on?" Kristiana pressed, looking closely at Ithiell, then at Leo.

"Well, you girls should start packing some necessities. We're taking you and your families to the valley where it's safe" Ithiell shared a look with Leo, both of them knowing this wouldn't go down well.

"But the base is safe" Serah protested, looking slightly annoyed.

"We don't know what's going to happen in the next twenty four hours" Leo spoke up "So we don't even know if this place will be standing by the end of it. We want you girls somewhere safe, where we can-"

"Nuh uh!" Serah shook her head "No way! We are _not_ running away from a fight, not this time!"

"Serah, please don't-" Leo tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she yanked herself away, looking furious.

"I can shift! I can fight! I'm not going go just run away while you guys risk your lives again!"

"Serah, listen to me" I moved over to her, going to grab her hands but then deciding against it, just standing in front of her. Her eyes bored into mine, knowing she wasn't really going to listen... or like... what I was about to say.

"You experienced a _recon_ mission... where _everything_ went wrong. You got shot, and it _really_ hurt you. What's going to happen when a Hork-Bajir chops off your leg? That's _alot_ more painful than being shot, and you _can't_ stop in the middle of a heated fight"

"I... don't... care"

"I can help too! I uh... well I..." Kristiana suddenly scratched the back of her head, and the two girls shared a strange look.

"Kristiana? Serah?" Ithiell looked from one girl to the other "What aren't you telling us?"

"Well... we don't... I mean... I didn't think what happened was real..." Kristiana twiddled her thumbs. Serah looked just as embarrassed.

"Babe, tell us" Mikey was suddenly there, arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him, biting her lip a little.

"What... happened?" Ithiell was starting to sound annoyed, and I was feeling the same.

"Well, when Jake was attacking us... he jumped and... well... Kristiana... um..."

"I think I kind of froze him in mid-air?" Kristiana supplied, now finding something fascinating on the floor at her feet.

"You _what_?" I blinked, staring at her now. I think we all were.

"How is that even _possible_?" Robert asked, looking at Ithiell then Rtaia.

"Well... we only... it wasn't for long..." Kristiana stuttered, honestly sounding embarrassed "I mean... he came at us... I kinda stopped him... we finished dragging her mom and Rtaia into the room, then when we shut the door we heard him... hit it. I mean... I didn't think it really happened, but... I felt..."

"And he was just... I dunno...there" Serah scratched her head "In mid air. Kristiana screamed and put her hands up in defense, and he just kinda... stopped, right when he was leaping at us. I mean... c'mon, what were we _supposed_ to tell you!"

"It could mean that Kristiana-"

"No, I'm not an alien. I mean... I think I would know by now..." She suddenly surprised us by leaning her head back towards the kitchen doorway, calling out "HEY, MOM! DAD!"

"Yes honey?" Came her mother's response.

"Are any of us like... aliens?!"

"No dear" Came her fathers voice, and I heard her little sister chuckle a little, before she turned back to us, shrugging.

Well... that was all shades of weird.

"You should have told us this earlier!" Raph didn't look pleased. Neither was I.

"Well.. as I said... we didn't think it was real" Kristiana was now looking up at Mikey, who was still trying to be supportive and comforting, smiling at her sweetly.

Was it possible...

"Could you have been experimented on then?" Donnie spoke up from beside me, saying what I had been thinking.

"Byyy..."

"The Yeerks, of course" Amanda rolled her eyes. Both girls gave her a strange look.

"Well... no, cause I don't really remember anything like that, and I'm pretty sure I would"

"So you... stopped... Jake... as he was leaping towards you?" Rtaia looked perplexed, even as she sat on the edge of a couch. She still wasn't fully recovered, and looked exhausted just from the effort of the last two hours. Even after Donnie provided her a chair she could sit on. She still wasn't well, and I was worried she wasn't going to be able to do this.

"Well... yeah. Like... he didn't move for a good few seconds. He was chasing Serah, and then he came for me... I put my hands up..."

"And voila! Frozen Jake" Serah finished, sharing another look with Kristiana.

"Perhaps... our friend from the deep may also have these abilities. We would need to research it more to be sure..." Mihra spoke up now, looking only a little better than Rtaia. Those two...

They would both in the least danger. But even then, they had to be at their best... how could they...

"So, is it possible that you were experimented on-"

"No, I don't... but..." Kristiana suddenly looked confused, closing her eyes and putting her hands up to her temples.

"Babe?" Mikey looked extremely worried about her, trying to shake her a little, but she pushed away from him, concentrating on something.

"Kristiana?" I finally decided to move towards her, going to stand in front of her. I noticed Serah wasn't far from us. I was hoping she was all right...

"No... it's... dammit!" She threw her arms down, looking up and locking eyes with mine. She looked both upset and frustrated.

"Did you remember something?"

She shook her head "It's... well there is something there, but it's like its behind that black curtain in your head. You know there is something there but your mind just wont let you remember. But... I think it's got something to do with that creature... at least... well, I'm not sure..." She looked confused now.

"It is possible that the Yeerk blocked those memories from you, somehow?"

"Well, according to Marco, it happened with Jake. The Yeerk that was in his head... knocked him out, in a sense" Ithiell added "Although the details are a little obscured, and I don't plan to ask him anytime soon"

"Yeah, wouldn't do you any good" Robert agreed.

"So... what does that... does that mean we can come along?"

"No"

Both girls looked truly hurt.

"You'll be helping Rtaia and Mihra. You can prove yourselves that way"

Now we all looked at Ithiell.

"What the hell are you thinking?!" I snapped, going over to stand in his face "They'll be-"

"Safe, with Rtaia and Mihra" Ithiell finished, meeting my glare with his own "Safer than what the rest of us will be doing anyway"

"Ithiell..." I almost growled, seeing him suddenly smile.

"If all else fails, and we all die, at least we know those two will pick up the slack!"

"I... I can't... no..." I looked at both Serah and Kristiana pleadingly. They couldn't possibly...

This was a horrible idea! How could he possibly think being anywhere near that ship would be safer than-

"Hey, I can also help with the layout of the poolship. I'm pretty sure I still remember most of where everything is" Kristiana perked up, and I felt my heart sink "I mean, unless they remodeled the ships after I left-"

"I'm with Jade on this" Amanda perked up, and we shared a look "This is just plain stupidity, putting them up there-"

"They'll be fine Mand" Ithiell tried to reassure her "They really want to help, and I can tell we aren't going to change their minds"

"No way" Serah folded her arms, looking determined. I heard Leo sigh, then "There is one condition to this though"

We all looked at him.

"Kristiana, Serah, you _stay_ at your post. No wandering off to help anyone"

"Leo's right. We need you up there, and we need you at the ready. If you need to move, we'll call on you"

The girls looked at each other, almost looking annoyed.

"Sounds fair girls" Robert smirked at them, putting a hand on the back of a couch, leaning his weight on it.

"What if-"

"No, you move on _our_ signal, no one else's" Leo stared at Serah, who gave him a quick glance, before looking down sheepishly.

"Babe, you better do what Leo says" Mikey backed his older brother, looking down at Kristiana, who met his stare with a look similar to Serah.

"I would like to run some tests before we leave" Rtaia spoke up "I am not sure what... if any...abilities you may have, and it is better to test them to make sure"

"Agreed. Girls, go say goodbye to your parents and siblings. I need to take to the valley straight away, then we'll all start to prepare"

"Dismissed!" Leo finally said, and we all finally split off, going to do our own things.

"Hey, Jade" A hand took my arm, and I looked up to see Donnie there, worry on his face.

"Donnie?" I felt his hand gently touch my cheek, the other resting at my waist now. He smiled sadly.

"Don't go dying tomorrow, okay?"

"Not planning on it" I shook my head, reaching up to kiss him gently, my arms now around his neck as he now put his arms around my waist.

"I mean it Jade, if your... friend... doesn't do his part..."

"I'm more worried about you" I finally admitted, resting my forehead against his. He sighed.

"You just be your ninja self, and take care of your brothers...and Splinter. It's not gonna be easy..."

"I know"

We stood there for a while, holding onto one another, before he finally moved to kiss me.

"Come on, I could use some help" He took my hand, leading my back into the lab "Those devices Ithiell needs are gonna take a while"

"But I thought Ithiell said-oomph" He'd shut the door, and instantly his lips enveloped mine again, picking me up and moving me to one of the tables.

So, it wasn't my help he needed after all.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	19. And So It Begins!

**Chapter 19  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

Well, as it turned out, Donnie actually _did_ need my help with making some equipment, and the extra hands while Ithiell was gone proved useful. The part before it was just... to help relieve stress, or so he let me believe.

The rest of the night and day passed fairly quickly. The base was full of noise and bustle, and even though Ithiell gave us time to rest before the night came, I think for the most part, we were all just too wired up to sleep properly, as tired as we probably all were.

Rtaia had discovered that Kristiana had definitely been experimented on, but couldn't really explain her memory loss about it. We could only guess it was the Yeerk who had done it. From what she could work out, Kristiana now had Tahjemm blood in her. Which meant that she possibly had the same if not similar abilities to what Sequae did. Only... not as advanced. Although, why we hadn't found out about it before now was confusing. Perhaps she wasn't fearing for her life? Or her abilities had just started to come to the surface, we couldn't be sure. Even though Kristiana was determined to be part of the fight, I had a good idea why Ithiell had told the two that they could join us.

We all ate together again, feeling oddly calm before the storm that was to come, all of us probably hoping this plan would work. If it didn't...

Well, it was all or nothing this time around. Every piece of equipment we'd made... everything else we'd done to prepare...

And before I knew it, it was time to go.

I stepped into the slightly crowded fighter, looking around at all my friends. The looks on their faces... worry, fear, determination...

Serah was biting her lip, looking over at Ithiell like she was having second thoughts. I caught Kristiana and Mikey having a small talk, and a little kiss every now and then. Mikey's giggle assured me a little, looking over at his brothers and Splinter.

Leo and Splinter were half in the small bedroom, both talking in low voices. Splinter put a hand on his sons arm, smiling up at him. Leo returned the smile half halfheartedly. I knew he was worried, but I also knew it was Splinters choice to come, and I knew he wouldn't be alone in this.

Raph was, as I suspected, holding onto Rachel as tight as he dared to. She was returning the pressure, both of them looking vulnerable for a moment, before pulling away and seeing utter determination in both their eyes. They were more than ready, and would give their all. Something I knew we'd all have to do to get through this night.

Donnie... my big, sweet turtle... was standing near the console, beside where Ithiell was, pointing down at something on the screen. Rtaia and Mihra were also there, discussing something in muted voices. I saw Donnie nod at something, and then Ithiell pointed at the another spot. For once, they both seemed to be agreeing on something.

I noticed Robert and Amanda weren't far from them, both of them looking like they were in a deep discussion about something, their eyes locked and their hands moving about wildly. To my surprise, Amanda suddenly laughed, pushing Robert slightly back and watching he let out his own kind of laugh. It was good to see, after knowing what they had to endure. I wouldn't wish it on anyone...

Ax, Cassie and Marco were all on the floor in the corner, looking over something on one of Donnie's borrowed laptops, Marco pointing at it occasionally. Tobias, his wonderful hawk self, was beside him, seeming to survey the situation around him. He seemed to catch my eye, and I held out an arm for him to sit on, which he seemed grateful for.

(How you doing Jade?) He asked as he landed on my arm, then inched his way up onto my shoulder so he didn't dig his claws in too deeply. I hummed, stroking the feathers on his chest a little.

"Okay I guess. I still can't believe we're about to do this. I mean... even with... how many of us are there?"

I tried to count us all off on my fingers, but I found Tobias was quicker.

(Eighteen)

I was taken aback by how many of us there were, but continued "Even with all of us, I still don't think it'll be enough. Not even with Sequae, and our... friends... I just keep getting a bad feeling"

(To be honest? Me too) I heard him sigh (But... if we don't do it, who else will?)

"Andalites?" I supplied, trying to smile and look at him out of the corner of my eye. His hawk body seemed to be enjoying the scratch, as he was unconsciously leaning into my touch.

I heard him make a strange sound, then (Ha! As if! They've known about this planet being taken over for years, but haven't done a thing to help. Even now... I think Elfangor was the only one to really care what happened to us... um, and Ax, of course)

"Thank you for correcting yourself Tobias" Ax replied kindly, looking up from his work "I am afraid you are right though. My brother... he..." He trailed off, looking almost upset, seeing Cassie put a comforting arm around him. It seemed to help, as he soon returned to his work, Marco now pointing at something on the screen.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" We all looked over, seeing Ithiell looking back at each one of us.

"As ready as well ever be" Leo answered, glancing at his brothers.

"C'mon Ithiell, get this old bucket movin" Raph grunted, folding his arms and leaning on the wall opposite the Animorphs, looking almost annoyed.

"This aint no bucket" Ithiell responded, but the hatch closed and the hanger door finally started to open.

We all fell silent, watching as Ithiell maneuvered the fighter once again out of the hanger, hearing the large doors clunk behind us. Possibly for the last time...

We rose slowly above the mountaintop, seeing the cage on the top of the mountain.

"Dudes, does it look empty?" Mikey wondered, looking over Ithiell's shoulder now, almost falling over if it wasn't for his brother catching him. Donnie muttered something, pulling his younger brother back slightly.

"Yeah, it does. He's probably playing coy again... " Ithiell muttered, and now Marco was there, moving to get in front of the turtles.

"We don't have time for him, we need to get moving before it's too late"

"Agreed" Ithiell slammed his hand down, and we jolted forward.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was a tense half an hour, waiting for Leo, Marco and Ithiell to come back from informing our... friends... about the plan we'd put in place. In that time, I'd managed to get in some kind of strange mental contact with Sequae, letting it know what kind of part we needed it to play. From what I could tell, it agreed, and then it fell silent. I knew it would have to get into position, and wait until we were ready to strike. The first part all came down to timing.

Finally, our leaders called to be picked up, and we discreetly got them on board, keeping the fighter cloaked just in case. We checked all three over just to make sure the two hadn't planted any bugs or anything shifty on them, before we were off again.

"How'd it go?" I asked as Ithiell moved to the controls, watching as Leo moved to lean against the door of the room.

"They're in... but, whether they'll... perform... like we want them to is another matter"

"Well, Sequae is in" I told him, seeing him smirk a little.

"Good, his... it's... co-operation is more important right now"

"I have the... antidote... to his condition, in the room" Rtaia said "It took time, but I managed to make just enough to do what he has asked"

"Weeell let's not get shot at and break the box anytime soon" Robert snorted a little, then his face changed, and he shook his head "I still can't believe we're doing this"

"Yeah... feels surreal" Amanda added, and I shared a look with my oldest friend. At least I knew we'd be doing this together.

"All right, drop off one... you guys ready?" Ithiell suddenly lowered the fighter, turning back to the group again.

"As ready as well ever be" Leo stepped forward, and Splinter nodded respectfully. Raph and Mikey said a quick goodbye to the girls, before joining Leo and their...our... Sensei...

"Hey, whoa" I grabbed Donnie as he went past, making him turn and look at me quizzically.

"I'll see you soon... no dying" I told him, moving to give him a quick kiss. He nodded, smiling and taking a moment to pull me close, giving me a quick hug and a kiss on the forehead before moving towards the others.

"Leo?" Serah looked worried, moving towards him. She let out a strangled sound as he pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"You be safe, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you"

I heard her gasp a little, before she hugged him back, and they shared a quick kiss, before letting go of him.

"S-same to you" She managed to get out, and Ithiell finally opened the hatch.

"Stay safe guys" Marco called after them, but they had already disappeared.

"Bloody ninjas" Rachel shook her head, but I saw the worry in her eyes.

"All right, you guys next" The fighter moved upwards, heading towards the next drop off point.

"Ax-man, time to demorph" Marco instructed, and he was soon his big blue self, slinging the laptop over his shoulder. He would need it for what he needed to do once we were inside.

"Donnie will want that back too" I added, seeing Cassie give me a sidelong glance.

(See you guys) Tobias opened his wings, following the others towards the now opening hatch as we flew.

Soon, the Animorphs were dropped off as well, and I found we could now move more freely through the fighter.

"I hope they'll be okay" Serah muttered from beside Kristiana, who nodded as well.

"They'll be fine. We just need to do our part as well" Robert told them, sharing a look with Amanda.

"Mihra, do you mind flying for a moment? I need to.. speak to my team" Ithiell looked at her, and she nodded, surprised when he took Rtaia's arm gently, leading her into the room and indicating the three of us follow. We did, now all standing in an awkward circle next to the bed.

"Ithiell?" Amanda wondered, but he just shook his head, instead taking her hand.

"I have something to say, please... let me say it" He looked sadly at her, and she frowned, nodding and squeezing his hand a little.

I was surprised when his other hand reached out and took mine, and I found Robert was taking my other hand. I looked up at him, and he smiled at me, realization dawning on me... this could be our last mission together. This could be...

His other hand took Rtaia's, and it surprised me when her and Amanda linked hands, a sad look in both their eyes as we all looked around at one another.

"Eight years ago, all our lives changed. Some things have changed for good, others... well..." Ithiell took a deep breath, then continued "We became a team. We fought together, and in turn we learned to trust each other, lean on one another when things got hard... even started to care deeply for one another..."

He moved Amanda's hand up to kiss it, and she smiled sadly, nodding at him. When he turned back to us, it was then I saw tears in his big eyes.

"I just... I wanted to say, no matter what happens... I am so proud of all of you. And I am so... so happy to have loved and cared about each and every one of you and called you my friends and now family... I don't think..."

"I think I speak for everyone when I... we feel the same Ithiell" I told him, tears brimming in my eyes and squeezing his hand. He returned the pressure, looking at me and smiling.

"Let's go kick ass like we always have, and win this" Roberts determination reverberated through the room, and we all made noises of agreement.

"We must believe our plan will be successful" Rtaia smiled at each of us, and we nodded.

We were all soon in a big kind of group hug, and I was so grateful to have known these four wonderful people around me for so long. Yes, even Robert. As much as I hated him sometimes, I knew... if it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't have pushed myself as hard as I had. Wouldn't have fought to be stronger... wouldn't even be alive...

"All right, now that's done" Ithiell pulled back, and we all did the same, looking at each other.

"As Rachel says, let's do this!" I grinned madly, pumping a fist in the air.

-xx-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Whoa" Serah gasped as the Pool Ship loomed below us.

"It is truly massive" Mihra added, her eyes locked on the screen. Even being a few hundred feet above it, I still felt like a tiny speck. Nearby, Bug fighters zoomed around the ship, or heading up into the atmosphere, possibly going to the rest of the forces they had above us.

"Team one, are you in position?" Ithiell touched his headpiece.

"Affirmative" I heard Leo's reply through my own headpiece "And it looks like Visser Three and his followers are set up as well"

"Good" Ithiell tapped away at the console, then moved Rtaia forward, and she took over as the four of us headed to the hatch.

"Team two, are you in place?" He asked, the four of us standing at the closed hatch now.

"We're here. Shredder was setting up himself and his goons up when we passed him too"

"Good" Ithiell looked around at the three of us, and we all nodded. No other words needed to be said, we were all ready.

"Be safe, Ithiell" Mihra looked at him with big sad eyes.

"I will, nothing is going to stop me from taking this thing down"

"Agreed"

"Oh don't any of you die or I'll... I'll..." Serah stomped her foot a little, looking both angry and upset, and then suddenly seemed unsure of what else to do or say.

"We'll be fine little cousin" Ithiell winked at her, and she watched as loaded ourselves up with our gear.

"I'm with her" Krisitiana jabbed her thumb in Serah's direction "No dying"

"Don't plan on it" I muttered, hefting the strap over my shoulder and getting myself sorted.

"Weapons aimed and at the ready" Rtaia confirmed, and Ithiell now looked at me.

"You're on"

I nodded, shifting just enough so I could thought speak.

(Sequae, if you can hear me, it's time!)

We heard the earth rumbling even from so far up, and within the enclosed fighter.

"Structural integrity of the earth below the Pool Ship is weakening" Mihra reported, and at that point Rtaia opened the hatch, all of us now hearing the ground below us cracking and shaking.

"All right, attach grappling hooks!" Ithiell instructed, attaching his and jumping out of the hatch, sliding slowly down the rope. Robert went next, then-

"Shields are down! Their instruments should be down too! Everyone... GO!"

Instantly there were explosions below us, at four points, and I could see the Pool Ship start to tip slightly screeching loudly as it did so. At that point I latched my grappling hook onto the roof of the hanger door and slid down my own rope. The other three were now slightly below me.

"Rtaia, do it!"

I saw the fighters weapons start to power up, then shot at the very top of the pool ship, seeing a small explosion below us.

"GOGOGOGOGO!" Ithiell yelled, and we all slid down the ropes as far as possible, finally jumping through the newly made hole below us, all of us hitting the floor roughly.

"Rough landing" Amanda grunted as we got up, looking around and not seeing anyone for the moment. The lights above us were flashing red, and sirens were wailing all through the hall we'd landed in.

"Sequae is now in... action" Rtaia reported as we looked around, hearing something like footsteps at the left end of the hallway.

"Move!" Ithiell yelped as a shot went past us, and we took positions on the sides of the hallway as we finally saw a group of controllers coming at us. I grabbed a little device I'd helped make, throwing it at the controllers that were now running madly. It hit the ground just past the first two, and they all screamed as an electric current exploded out, zapping each and every one of them. We watched as they all now collapsed to the floor, all of them smoking.

"Why didn't we think of those before" Robert panted, and we shared a look, smiling.

"Cause we weren't going to go all Kamikaze on their asses" Ithiell replied, indicating we all get a move on.

The plan was to damage the Yeerk ship just enough so that it couldn't possibly take off into space. Also... so we could get into the areas we all needed.

The Animorphs would go after the weapons. The turtles would go after the engines. Shredder and Visser three had the tasks of being the diversions, keeping the Yeerks distracted. How they'd agreed to it, I'd never know... but for now, they were doing the job.

Sequae would keep their shields and other systems down so we could complete our tasks. As well as... join in by smashing any controllers or bug ships that came close. It would give us more time.

Our task was the hardest one out of all. We had to infiltrate the bridge, and make sure we got both Vissers to surrender. Hopefully, with all the commotion, they would both be automatically moved to the bridge. If not... we'd have to go looking..

(We're in!) I heard Marco cry, then a yelp from him, guessing he'd run into trouble.

"Us too! I don't think the controllers are happy" Leo said as we dove around the corner, stopping for a moment as Ithiell worked out which way to go. He pointed, and we continued towards another corner as we heard Raph say "No, they're fucking pissed!"

"Holy-" Amanda yelped, ducking as a shot went past her head, then something sharp went over her head, finding a Hork-Bajir had appeared out of no where.

"Hang on!" I leaped over her bent form, kicking the Hork-Bajir in the gut and making him stumble back. I yanked out my dagger, pulling out the other spare from my belt and holding them forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others dive past me, Ithiell yelling "You take big guy, we'll take these idiots!"

"Right" I saw the Hork-Bajir smile, coming at me again, his blades now flashing. I managed to deflect each hit coming at me with the daggers, ducking out of the way of others, back flipping to get some distance between me and him, finding it was a bit harder with the gear I was now carrying.

"Smart little human" It muttered, coming at me again but I ducked out of the way, throwing the spare dagger into its side as it went past, hearing it shriek and try and flick its tail towards me, but I was already gone.

It turned, ready to come at me again, but it was too late. I hit him, fully tigress, knocking him down and clamping my jaws around his throat, biting down and feeling him start to squirm madly.

I bit down harder, and his form went limp, jumping back of him and turning to the others, who were now all animals themselves.

(Time to move)

(Hang on) I shifted back, grabbing my dagger from the floor, then yanking the other our of the Hork-Bajirs side, slipping them both safely back into their holsters. Now that was sorted, I shifted myself into a Jinnaw.

(All right, now, I'm ready)

(Move out!) Ithiell commanded, and we dove after him down the hallway.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **What do you guys think? Huh? HUH?!**

 **Please feel free to tell me! I enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	20. Face Off!

**Chapter 20  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I heard the others giving it their all in the shifted headpiece I had as I dove towards my next opponent, blood seeping from multiple wounds. She screamed as I hit her full force, knocking her down and both of us sliding across the floor. I slammed my paw into her head, hearing a crack and seeing her body go limp.

Instantly I spotted my next target, leaping up and half grabbing the Hork-Bajir around the throat as he tried to shoot Amanda, both of us hitting the floor with a thump.

It screeched, slashing at me and making me scream out as it successfully lopped my front leg clean off, making me loosen my grip just enough for them to get an advantage.

I felt my back hit the floor hard, looking up and seeing the Hork-Bajir standing over me, wrist blades raised over me, ready to strike.

(NO!) In seconds he was gone, and all I saw was a white blur, and then something slam into the wall beside me, then a thump as it hit the floor.

(This is getting pretty intense!) I heard Marco cry out from wherever he was on the ship.

"I think... plan B! Needs to be... implimented!" I heard Leo cry out as he fought, and I heard Ithiell agree as Amanda dragged me against the wall, putting herself between me and the enemies around us, giving me time to shift into a tigress. As soon as I did, I dove around her and leaped back into the frey, my strength renewed.

We were still a fair way from the bridge, and from what I could guess... the other teams were still trying to get into their positions. We had half expected this, knowing it wasn't going to be easy... especially knowing how many Yeerks would be on the pool ship... but we were running out of time. The Yeerks were starting to get organized...

(All right everyone, on my mark we all throw an electric neutralizer... so get ready) Ithiell said, then his thought speak changed to a more authoritative tone, even as we all hit and bit and slashed and screamed in anger or pain. I didn't see any end to this group of Yeerks that we'd run into. The last few groups we'd ploughed through, this one...

(Shredder and Visser Three!) Ithiell called out, jumping over a Hork-Bajir and hitting the human controller behind him, teeth flashing (It is now time to move into position! Enter the Pool ship immediately!)

I dove in front of him as he reached the opposite wall, fending off a taxxon, and another Hork-Bajir as he shifted an arm and his belt with the gear on it, grabbing a device and holding it at the ready.

(Everyone ready?) He called to the others, and we heart Robert let out a shriek, turning as his massive body hit the floor for a moment, before he was back up on three legs. He hadn't hesitated...

I had a stupid moment where I had wondered what Serah would have done, before I heard the others reply that they were, and Ithiell gave the order.

(Jump!) The three of us tried to jump, using the wall as leverage as Ithiell threw the device down, the floor lighting up below us. We tried to keep up for as long as possible, Ithiell and I bouncing back and forth off the walls as the device did it's job, electrifying the Yeerks on the ground.

Thankfully, the charge dissipated in seconds, and all the Yeerks around us fell to the floor, literally smoking.

(Damn! Those are some powerful devices Donnie cooked up!) Rachel almost laughed.

(What can I say? My boy's a genius!) I looked around at the others, not seeing any other Yeerks in the hallway in, all of us shifting back. The gear we had on as ourselves would absorb the electric current, but as animals...

"It was nothing" I heard Donnie laugh nervously, smiling a little before Ithiell tapped my shoulder to get me moving.

"All right, everyone okay?" Ithiell touched his headpiece as we all started to move down the halls, indicating we stop at a corner. I saw Robert peek out, then duck back in and look at us, giving us a slow nod. We continued on, hearing everyone answer.

(We just ran around a corner, and almost smacked into Shredder and his ninjas taking down another lot of Yeerks, but we're good) Marco responded, sounding a little out of breath.

"Sounds like the Shredder didn't follow the plan" Leo didn't sound impressed, and I heard Ithiell sigh as we moved on.

"Just remember Leo, we predicted this. Just as long as we stick to our missions we'll be good"

"I know, we're almost there" He responded, although he still didn't sound happy.

"Rach, you good?" I heard Raph ask, smirking a little as Ithiell instructed me to peek around the corner this time.

(I'm _fine_ , stop worrying and get to it _loverboy_!)

"I..." I heard him grunt as I peeked out, ducking my head back in and holding my fingers up with how many enemies there were around the corner.

"Chudnit" He muttered in a low tone "We can't waste any more time"

We all nodded, shifting as fast as we could and taking to the air, moving over the three Hork-Bajir as fast as possible. We knew they'd probably seen us, but Ithiell was right, there really was no more time.

"We're in" I heard Donnie report, then heard shots being fired, and another fight started.

(Us too!) Marco now, then Cassie yelped and their battle was now heard through our earpieces.

(I hope they'll be okay) Robert sounded genuinely concerned, but before I could comment, Ithiell announced we were at the door to the bridge.

(Four guards, let's do it!) We moved above them, our bodies slamming hard into them as we grew rapidly.

Ithiell knocked his opponent out straight away, but Amanda, Robert and I had a little more trouble. Thankfully, we had some interesting little devices that we jabbed into their necks, rendering them immobile for a short time. Soon, the guards were down, and we quickly finished them off, throwing another electrical device towards the Hork-Bajir that followed us.

Ithiell pulled out two heavy boxes from the shoulder bag he had been carrying, slapping one on each door and moving himself and us all back.

"Cover your heads, and get ready" He pulled out a small controller, waiting for all of us to shift before he hit the button, moving back and covering his head as a shrill beeping came from both devices before...

KA-BOOOOOM!

I ducked as the doors were ripped from their hinges, exploding over our heads and revealing the large bridge before us. Before anyone could move Ithiell threw two more devices in near the door, zapping the Yeerks that were now trying to run at us, and then...

"Get them!" I heard Visser Two screech as we all dove into action, biting and hitting and clawing anything that came near us.

(Ithiell!) I shoved him out of the way as a shot went past, burning my shoulder before going after the one who fired the shot.

"Thanks Jade" He dove off again, whipping his tail forward and cracking the neck of the Hork-Bajir that was coming at him. Then he was off again, and we all continued to fight hard.

I slammed into a taxxon, ripping it to shreds and leaping off it and into two controllers who were about to fire at me. I dug my claws into one's chest, then smacked another with a paw. Safe to say they both went down hard.

"Smokin 'em!" Ithiell suddenly yelled, and I looked over as he threw a smoke bomb down, the three of us ducking out of range and hearing the controllers cry out.

Soon we were all back in, using the distraction to rip into the last of them.

I just happened to look over, seeing Ithiell had finally reached Visser Two, knocking her down and using his weight to pin her. I saw a Hork-Bajir behind him-

(HA!) Robert yelled, body slamming the him and flattening him into the wall, crushing him as he did.

(We did it! We took the bridge!) Amanda cried, and I finally looked around through the clearing smoke and seeing they were all down.

"All right Yeerk" Ithiell said, and we all moved over to him, seeing a Dracon beam in her hand start to lift, but I was soon there slamming it back down and out of her hands, growling a little.

"I'll kill you all" She snarled, watching as we all shifted back, looking down at her.

"You tried that, remember? Didn't work too well"

"We're in!" I heard Donnie cry in triumph, and soon Marco did something similar.

(Ax is getting to work guys, we should have full control of the weapons soon)

"So Yeerk" Robert started, walking over to stand over her "Where's your boss?"

"Why would I tell you filthy humans something like that?" She spat.

"Well... maybe because you hate her, and you Yeerks have a knack for backstabbing one another?" I supplied, kneeling down beside her. She tried to spit at me, but I moved out of the way just in time.

"Amanda? Take over would you?" Ithiell started to move, and Visser Two attempted to attack, but Amanda was slamming her back to the ground, pushing her now bigger mass down and pinning her again.

"You filthy Changeling! I will... I will..."

"Blah blah blah" Was Ithiell's response, waving a hand around as he moved to the console she'd been at, tapping away and seeing some of the screens light up.

"How about you get out of April's head, and we might actually be nice enough to flick you into the pool" I offered, hearing one of the turtles mutter something under their breath. Visser Two's response was a frustrated scream in my direction.

"All right, I've gotten control of the systems. I've managed to lock large sections off where most of the Yeerks are. We have some running around still, but we should be fine"

"We'll that's a relief. Last thing we want its more surprises" Leo muttered, almost sighing.

"Bad news is... Visser and his followers have made it to the Yeerk pool, so who knows what kind of mess he'll make in there"

"Well...can't be any worse than the mess we've just made. Can you lock him in there?" Marco asked.

"Done, hopefully that'll hold him while we finish up" Ithiell responded, his fingers still flying over the console.

"What about the Shredder?" Splinter spoke up, and we all looked at each other, then over at Ithiell.

"He's... well, he's still in the same area Marco reported him in. But... hmm, I don't know what he's up to"

"Just make sure he can't get into any systems" Donnie told him, then made a strange kind of grunt.

"On it"

"Have you found Visser One yet?" Marco's voice sounded hopeful and worried all at once.

"Uh.. hang on..." We waited a few moment, before Ithiell slammed his hand down on the side of the console, stepping back and looking pleased with himself.

"Bam baby! Got her on this deck, looks like she's in her... or someone else's... quarters"

"I'll go and get her"

"Not alone you wont" I told Marco, looking up at Ithiell, who nodded to me.

"Here, take this" He grabbed a device from the bag, throwing it at me. I caught it, looking from him to Visser Two.

"But... don't you need it to-"

"Jade, really?" He pulled another device out, and I smirked, shoving it in my pocket as he gave me the directions. I nodded, turning towards the door and making my feet move.

"I'm on my way, just guide me there" I heard Marco say as I ran down the hallway, collapsing forward and my paws now hitting the ground as I ran.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-xxx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I finally managed to get to the door, and the room itself was locked, as Ithiell had made sure it was.

"Ithiell, I'm here... are you sure she's-"

"Oh she's in there. Just be careful, she's probably got a weapon pointed at the door"

"Can you open the door?"

"Not yet! I'm almost there" Marco sounded a little annoyed. So, being the good girl I was, I just stood at the door, looking around.

"All right, all right, don't get your knickers in a knot"

"I wear boxers, thank you very much!"

"Too much info dude" I heard Mikey mutter, smiling and shaking my head. For once... Mikey was right.

Soon enough I saw Marco skidding around the corner, running towards me and looking pretty red faced and out of breath.

"All right, when you guys are ready?" Ithiell asked, and I pulled out my dagger, readying it and catching a look from Marco.

"Oh I won't hurt her... much"

"Jade" He growled a little, and I put my hands up defensively.

"Hey, she's got a thing against me, I aint letting her get the upper hand again"

He sighed, but moved back to the door, readying himself for anything.

"Get ready to be possibly shot at" Ithiell muttered, and as soon as Marco gave the go ahead the door started to-

TSSSEEEW!

"Ya!" Marco yelped, surprisingly twisting his body out of his way of the shot.

"Lookout!" I dove forward, ducking behind a piece of furniture as she took another shot at me, the material above me exploding into pieces.

"Mom, it's me!" He cried out again, and I managed to move and grab his leg, yanking him down and making him yelp.

He soon got the message, crawling over to the couch I think it was, both of us yelping as another shot incinerated the material just above our heads.

"You... you disgusting creature! How can... urgh..."

"You talking about me or him?" I popped my head above the couch, seeing she had her head in her hands, looking like she was struggling with something.

"You!" She suddenly snarled, pointing the gun at me, her hand shaking. I rolled away from my hiding spot, behind a chair as she took a shot at where I had been seconds before.

"Mom, come on, it's me!"

"M-Mar-" I chanced another peek, seeing she seemed to be struggling again.

"Marco, here!" I yanked the device from my pocket, tossing it at him.

"What-"

"I'll distract her, you use that on her"

"What...but-"

"Just do it!"

"I won't let you get close, you filth!" She suddenly snarled, incinerating part of the chair next to my arm. I hissed a little, grabbing my arm and feeling it burn.

"Guess again!" I clutched my dagger close again, readying it and diving over the chair, heading straight at her as she aimed the gun at me. In seconds I dodged left, just barely being missed by the next shot.

"How the hell do I use it!" I heard Marco yelp as I dodged again, half scrambling behind some kind of table, yelping as the shot shattered something on it.

"Put it at the base of her neck" Ithiell instructed "Then push that very obvious button... should take her down in one shot"

"Hurry it up Marco!" I snapped, diving behind a kitchenette of sorts, tucking my legs up against me as she took another shot, partially blowing it apart.

"You..." Before I knew it the weapon was aimed in my face, and I scrambled to my feet, backing up and knowing I was backing into a dead end. The face behind that weapon...

Visser One's eyes bored into mine as she stepped forward, and I finally hit the wall, staring back at her as she smiled a little.

"You... you little brat... you've been a thorn in my side for years... you just... won't...die. And now... you've infiltrated my ship, and tried to take it over... you..."

"Well in my defense, you did try to kill me first"

"Not the point" She shook the gun at me, finally in front of my face, pointing the gun straight into my forehead. I wanted to close my eyes, knowing this would probably hurt if Marco didn't get his ass into gear... but my eyes were locked on hers. Those dark... haunting eyes...

"I'm going to enjoy watching you _burn_..." She smiled then, starting to pull the trigger-

She yelped suddenly, her body starting to convulse and the Dracon beam slipping out of her hands as she collapsed towards the floor, revealing Marco behind her.

"Took you long-" I sighed, stopping when Marco moved to kneel beside his mother, who's body had finally stopped convulsing, laying limp.

"Oh my god, what did it-" I knelt down on the other side of her, leaning over and putting a hand on his shoulder gently.

"She's not dead... Ithiell made it so it would the electrical current would be just be strong enough to knock the Yeerk about, and..." I stopped, moving both hands to lift her head, turning it to the side and seeing the tail of the Yeerk slip out of her ear.

"You wanna do the honors?" I asked him, and he nodded, his brow furrowed as he carefully yanked the Yeerk out of his mothers ear, then moved back and tossed it as hard as he could against the opposite wall, letting out a cry of anger as he did.

He turned back, kneeling down and gently taking his mother in his arms, tears starting to fall freely down his cheeks. Slowly, he looked up at me.

"She... she's finally..."

I smiled, nodding at him and patting his shoulder gently, getting up and surveying the room. It was torn to bits...

"Uh, guys... we might need some help!" Leo's voice suddenly crackled in my earpiece, and I shared a look with Marco.

"What's wrong?" Ithiell asked, and then I heard him groan.

"We got too many enemies down here! We need backup!" Raph yelled, suddenly hearing shots being fired.

"A large group must have broken free... " Ithiell sounded a little annoyed.

"We're on our way" Marco went to get up, but I stopped him.

"No, you need to take care of your mom right now. Lock the door behind me" I got up, tapping my earpiece.

"Ithiell, which way do I go?"

"Oh no you don't, I'm coming to meet you" Was Ithiell's response, hearing the doors shut behind me.

"You guys better hurry!"

"Jade, go, I'll meet up with you then, go left and two floors down at the nearest dropshaft!" Ithiell instructed "I'll guide you the rest of the way more from there"

"On my way" I took off down the hallway, shifting as I went, feeling like something terrible was about to happen.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Things are getting hairy! What's gonna happen next!**_

 _ **Please read and review!**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	21. Casualties

**Chapter 21  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

My chest kept tightening, the closer I got to the turtles location. Even with Ithiell guiding me, and assurances from the turtles that they were holding on for the time being, I still felt like... well like something was really wrong. Like... like we were missing something terribly important.

(Whoa!) I skidded to a stop, seeing three human controllers dart around a corner, all of them copying my action, windmilling their arms as they did so.

I growled, going to coil my legs under me, but one of the male controllers stepped forward, waving his hands around madly to try and stop me.

"W-w-w-w-wait! We're with Visser Three!"

I growled (And why should I believe you)

Another pointed, and soon I was face to face with the Visser himself, all four of his eyes focused on me.

(Andalite) He boomed, and I shook my head.

(Changeling, and what the heck are you doing here? I thought... you were at the other end of this ship) I saved myself, almost admitting to him that Ithiell had tried to lock him in the pool room.

(I have retaken the Kandrona) He boasted (But your foolish leader locked me in there when he did a lock down of this ship)

He eyed me warily, and if I was human I knew I would have been blushing.

(Well... looks like you escaped. Care to help take down some other Yeerks?)

I knew it was stupid, but it was the only way to know if he was still on... well, still working with us for the time being.

(For the moment, yet I have other needs to address afterwards)

(Such aaas...) I trailed off, seeing his main eyes narrow.

(Oh... nevermind, we gotta go!) I dove around them, picking up my pace and half hearing the clomping of his feet as he followed me.

(Guys, I foun-)

(Oh shit! Oh shit oh shit!) Came Amanda's panicked voice, and then some kind of gutteral scream from Robert.

(What's going on?! Do you need help?) I heard Ithiell ask, hoping he wasn't far from me now.

(She...she got away!)

(What... how?!) Rachel cried.

(We got attacked by a small group of Yeerks, and um... well...)

(Why didn't you use the device?!)

(Well... we thought you wanted to try and get more information out of her... so we uh...)

(Dammit! Ax, are you able to get up to the bridge? Are you finished down there?)

(I will not be finished for ten of your human minutes)

"For the last time Ax-man, they're _everyones_ minutes!" Marco grumbled, although the anger was gone from his voice.

I skidded around a corner, seeing the four of them following me out of the corner of my eye, looking ahead of me and finally hearing the sounds of a fight going on. Cries...screams... grunts from the turtles...

(The second you do, I need you up there! We need to keep control of the bridge at any cost!)

(AAAAAH!) I yelled madly, finally seeing the turtles and Splinter all fighting desperately, picking up my face and diving into the frey.

I slammed my whole weight into a Hork-Bajir, digging my claws in and bringing him down roughly, before jumping off and hitting a Taxxon, then onto the next opponent.

"Oomph!" I saw Mikey was knocked down, and I went to move over to him, finding Leo was there, slicing and dicing anyone who came near his younger brother, then trying to pull him up as he knocked a Hork-Bajir away with a swift kick.

"Come on!"

"I'm good bro... I'm good!" He flipped away, almost body slamming a human controller, knocking another over in the process.

Donnie's Bo was a blur as he swung it left and right, desperately trying to fend off any attackers, noticing he and Raph had Splinter part way between them, keeping our Sensei safe.

I half slammed into a Hork-Bajir that was heading for Splinter slashing another Taxxon apart and almost slipping on the goo that spilled out.

I ducked when shots were being fired, turning around and surprised to see Visser Three and his followers were actually joining in the fight, helping us against the other Yeerks.

I saw Visser Three's tail flick, cutting a human controllers head off, then slicing the arm off of a Hork-Bajir before moving on to cut his head off as well.

A roar from beside me, and suddenly Ithiell was there, all of us together finally turning the tide against this group.

(Ithiell!)

(Let's make this quick! I need eyes on the bridge, and I can't-ah!) He howled a little as a Hork-Bajir stabbed him in the back, his legs collapsing under him.

(No!) I jumped over, slamming all four paws into the Hork-Bajir, knocking him over and landing on top of him. Soon, he was no more.

"Ithiell, you okay?" Donnie cried, hearing the crack of his Bo as it hit another opponent.

(Yeah, just... hang on) I saw him start to shift back, suddenly hearing his tail whip out, snapping across the side of a Taxxon, then took off from behind me.

Raph stabbed the last Hork-Bajir, then kicked it hard in the gut and watched as it collapsed to the floor, looking around at the rest of us. We were all panting heavily.

"Thanks for the help" Leo directed the gratitude to all of us.

"No prob" Ithiell looked around, then up at Visser Three.

(Your appreciation is noted) Visser Three boomed once again, looking around at the bodies around us.

(Ithiell, I have completed my mission. Would you like just myself to-)

"Yes Ax, just you, and double time it" Ithiell's eyes met Visser Three's, who was now looking at the earpiece he had. The air in the hallway suddenly got tense, and I could tell not even Leo wanted to be around the two right now.

"I'll... go finish what I was doing" Donnie said, moving to head back into the room, the brothers and Splinter following.

(Hmm, interesting)

"I'll say..." He suddenly moved forward to stand in front of Visser Three, and I noticed his followers were now eyeing me.

(Don't even think about it. You saw what I can do to Hork-Bajir... take a guess what I could do to the three of you)

They seemed to take my threat seriously, holstering their weapons and now half standing behind their Visser.

"I locked this whole ship down... how the heck did _you_ get out?"

Visser Three laughed boldly (Oh foolish changeling! I know the Pool Ship inside and out! And did you not wonder how I escaped Visser One and Two's hold in the first place?)

"Well... thanks for the heads up" Ithiell smiled grimly at him "Did you find what you were looking for?"

There was an unsteady silence, and at that point I decided to shift back, looking from one to the other.

(No) He finally said, flicking his tail a little, and I saw Ithiell copied his action (I was surprised to find... someone... had poisoned the entire pool)

"What?! Did I hear right? I mean... poisoned how?" Marco sounded just as shocked as I think the rest of us were.

"What the hell would possess someone to poison it? And... with what?" I finally asked, seeing his stalk eyes turn to me. His features were grim.

(I do not know. And... I do not care to discuss it with you puny human!)

"We're going to die if we don't get to a Kandrona soon" Came the female controllers voice, and I looked at her, finally noticing how pale she looked.

"Wait... what happened to those personal Kandronas?" I saw Leo come out into the hallway now, and the Visser now turned to him, almost glaring it seemed.

(Because of you... fools... the prototypes, as well as all our research was destroyed when you destroyed the building and then my Blade ship!)

"Whoa whoa, sorry for askin dude" Mikey was now there, holding his hands up defensively. I could see Raph was watching the commotion from beside Donnie.

(Foolish creatures! I don't-)

"You are the foolish one Visser Three! Or should I say... _former_ Visser Three!" Came the voice from down the hall, and we all turned to see Visser Two there, pointing at the blue alien, a crazy grin on her face. April's face...

"April... dudette" Mikey went to go to her, but Leo stopped him. In seconds, the other brothers and Splinter were all out in the hallway.

(Who are you calling _foolish_ you miserable _wench_!) Visser Three roared, turning on her, and instantly all of us were alert. This was going to turn very bad, very fast!

"You are!" She laughed madly, holding her stomach a little and grinning like she'd just completely lost the plot.

"What... the..." I muttered, still trying to find it hard to put the face of April with the personality of Visser Two.

"You horrible little Visser you are! Your plans were destroyed over and over by these... _freaks_... and now, you're standing there, talking to them like you're best friends!" She laughed again, and Visser Threes eyes turned wild.

(You... you'll pay for that!)

None of us realised what was happening until it was too late. Visser Three turned, running full tilt at April's still giggling form, making all of us cry out. Visser Two seemed to notice what was happening, crying out and turning to run.

"After them!" Ithiell yelled, but my feet were already moving, skidding around a corner and seeing the back end of Visser Three as he darted around another corner.

"No! No!"

"Visser Three, stop!" Ithiell yelled at him, but he wasn't listening.

"If he-"

I dove around another corner, almost loosing my footing and seeing Visser Three was quickly closing the distance on April.

"Don't even!" I yelled, watching as she rounded another corner, the Visser following. I had to shift! I had to find a way to get to her before-

Another corner, and I slammed into the wall, almost falling over, but finding Leo half caught me, the two of us fighting to close any kind of distance between us and them.

To our surprise, April seemed to run into a dead end, trying to get into one of the doors at the end of the hallway, turning as Visser Three caught up to her.

 _No... no... no..._

He stood there, even as we tore off towards him, looking almost calm.

(Who's the fool now)

 _So close..._

FWAAPP!

Visser Three's tail snapped forward, and we could all only watch in horror as April's head hit the floor in front of us.

"NO! APRIL!" I cried, skidding to a stop as it rolled towards me, fighting every instinct in me not to just scream blue murder. I felt Leo blow past me, and I looked up with unbelieving eyes to see the glint of his katanas as he pulled them out and returned the favour to Visser Three.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Nothing felt real, or right.

Sure, Visser Three was gone, but so was April. Her head... her head...

I fought a wave of nausea as I sat in the engine room with the boys, looking up to see they were all upset in their own ways.

Leo was stock still, and Mikey was trying to console him, although there were tears in his eyes as he tried to reach his oldest brother. Donnie was tapping away furiously, almost angrily, and I could see the tear stains on his cheeks. I wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but something held me back. I didn't realise how much April had actually meant to him... and I think he just needed some time... I knew, he'd come to me when he was ready.

Besides, Ithiell was beside him, talking in hurried tones with Ax over his earpiece, and I think the distraction seemed to help him a little.

Raph... Raph had punched a few walls, screaming angrily before walking off, throwing his earpiece on the ground and smashing it. Rachel had heard the commotion, and offered to go after him. I knew... even with her, he would be fairly inconsolable. April meant the world to him...

Splinter seemed to be faring the worst of all of them. He was sitting on a chair, his head down and his eyes closed. His face was forlorn, almost regretful that we didn't get there in time.

We were so close...

She couldn't be dead, could she?

April...

My mind went to the day on the rooftop with Rachel. Her sweet smile, her caring voice...

Then there was the time she got me up and moving after I'd fallen out of the third story window. She was determined to take care of me, and keep me out of the fight...

Our talks... her laughter... her...

"Okay, that's done" Donnie finally said, making me turn to look up at him. He was rubbing his eyes, and I wasn't sure if he was tired or...

"Finally, we've got complete control of this ship" Ithiell sounded relieved, but similar to Donnie. Things still didn't seem real...

"We need to go find Raph" Leo seemed to have snapped out of his stupor, looking down at his youngest brother, who was hanging onto his arm like a little kid.

Leo gave him a look, and he slowly let go, nodding in agreement.

"All right then... Ax?"

(Yes?)

"Can you find where Raph and Rachel are?"

(... yes, I have them)

"All right, relay the co-ordinates to the turtles so they can-"

He stopped when Splinter rose from the chair, pressing two of his fingers to his own earpiece and looking at us wearily.

"Please, tell me where my son is. I must speak to him"

"But... Sensei..." Mikey stopped when Splinter gave him a look, and he looked back at Leo.

"Hai Sensei" Leo bowed at Splinter, and in turn he bowed back. Ithiell also nodded his head respectfully at him, touching his own earpiece.

"Give the co-ordinates to Splinter and the turtles, and don't let either of them out of your sight. And... warn them about anyone nearby"

(This can be done) Was Ax's response, and the two brothers and Splinter headed for the door, all of them turning to look at Donnie, who I now realised was still standing at the console. He looked almost torn.

"Donnie, you coming?" Leo asked, and I could see he was judging Donnie's body language.

Donnie looked at his brother, tears suddenly forming in his eyes, his lower lip trembling slightly. The look on his face knocked me out of my own stupor, going and slipping an arm through his, making him look down at me.

"I think... I'll stay here for now. I don't know if I can... Raph..." He leaned on the console, and I put an arm around the back of his shell, pulling him as close to me as I could and rubbing his shoulder with my other hand.

"All right, you stay here and help Ithiell, we'll go get Raph"

"Stay safe brother" Donnie muttered, but Leo and the others were already gone.

"I'll see if we can work out how many Yeerks are left in this place, and if there's possibly-" Ithiell was saying, his hands working away next to us, but my whole attention was now on Donnie.

"Hey" I gently grabbed his head in my hands, turning him to look at me and stroking his cheek gently with my thumb. He looked like a complete mess.

"I'm here, okay?" I moved his goggles just enough so I could rest my forehead against his, feeling him react to the comfort.

His arms slowly went around me, pulling me close and letting out a strange sob, which hurt my heart. Seeing him this way...

"She's... she's really gone Jade. I don't... I don't know what to..." He nuzzled his head as far as he could into my neck, and I could feel tears wet my shoulder.

I hushed him as best as possible, not knowing what else to do.

(Raph wanted me to pass on a message to you) A voice in my head made me jerk a little, but I knew who that voice belonged to.

(Take care of him, please)

All I could do was hum, pulling Donnie closer to me. He was hurting...and it was now my job to take care of him.

Eventually, he pulled back, looking at me with sad eyes, attempting to smile a little, giving me a small kiss.

"Come on my love... let's finish this... whaddya say?"

He nodded, kissing me more passionately this time, hugging me as tight as he dared before pulling away to look down at the console.

"You okay big guy?" Ithiell asked, taking a moment to look up at him. I leaned up to dry the last of his tears away, feeling him take my wrists gently as he looked over at Ithiell, nodding.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Let's do this"

(I heard that!) Rachel said again, and I half wondered what she was doing with Raph in morph, but I turned my attention back to Donnie. I saw a genuine smile on his face again, and he half moved me to his side, one arm around me while the other tapped away at the console.

"All right, I've worked out we-"

"Hey! Hey! Anyone hear me!" A new voice crackled in my ear, and it took me a moment to realise it was Serah.

"Hey...what? What's wrong? Are you girls okay?" Ithiell touched his earpiece, the other flying across the controls.

I shared a look with Donnie, who looked just as confused as I did.

"Yeah, we're good, but uh... Rtaia says there's a ship heading towards... shes not... sure..." Serah's voice started to fade in and out, and I looked at Ithiell, who was now worried.

"What kind of ship is it?" He asked, but we all now got horrible static, and I had to take the earpiece out of my ear, seeing Donnie and Ithiell do the same.

"That can't be good" Donnie muttered, suddenly hearing Ax yelling something, going to put the earpiece back in my ear-

 ** _KA-BOOOOMM!_**

 ** _BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

 ** _BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_**

Explosions suddenly rocked the ship throwing us all into the console, almost being tossed over if it wasn't for Donnie's hold on me.

"What the _hell_ was that?!" I yelped, moving back and watching as the guys now both worked at the consoles.

"I don't... Rtaia! Are you there?"

All he got was static.

"Ax! Can you hear me!"

(Yes! There's an unidentified cruise ship attacking us! It is not Andalite or Yeerk!)

"Dammit! Can you hail them?!"

(Negative, Sequae must still be-)

"Dammit! I can't access the systems from here... gotta try and-"

"And don't you regret taking the weapons down now" I muttered, leaning over both of them, trying to work out what they were up to.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Another explosion rocked the ship, and I tripped over my own feet, falling backwards and landing square on my butt, groaning.

"Are you okay Jade?" Donnie was there, helping me up and holding me close as another explosion went through the ship, almost knocking us both down.

"Shit! Their last attack took out the power to stabilizers!" Ithiell snapped, and instantly Donnie was back at his side, making sure I held onto his shell before he let me go, working away.

"Diverting power... it's not enough! We need to divert more-"

"Donnie, can you keep diverting power for me? I need to get to the bridge to see if I can find a way to contact that ship" Ithiell and Donnie shared a look, and they nodded.

"I'll try and keep us stable for as long as I can"

"Good, cause if we loose this ship, we loose the battle"

He nodded, working as hard as he could, before Ithiell turned to me.

"Jade, you're with me, I need you to try and contact Sequae again"

"Right" I went to run after Ithiell, stopping and giving Donnie a quick hug, before taking off out the door after him.

"Can you try and-"

 ** _KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!_**

An explosion behind us knocked us both down and I felt the wind leave my lungs, pain wracking my body as I fought to get up.

Panic set in as Ithiell fought to pull me up, both of us turning to look back at where the explosion had come from. But I already knew, and my heart sank, tears springing to my eyes in disbelief.

 _No... please... not him..._

It was the exact same room that we had both just run out of.

The room where Donnie had been in.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	22. Donnie

**A/N; This chapter was largely written to and a little inspired by a song called "Say Something" by A Great Big World. It's an amazing song, and a perfect match and tempo for this chapter. Anyway, enjoy :)**

 **Chapter 22  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

Everything suddenly just went in slow motion. I couldn't believe it...

I screamed, running towards the burning room, but Ithiell grabbed me, fighting to pull me back and away as I screamed Donnie's name over and over.

 _No, not him... not Donnie... please not him..._

I half expected him to come out of that room, coughing and slightly burnt, but...

No... that room had exploded, and...

"Jade, we need to move... otherwise we're all-"

"No! Not Donnie! Please... I need to help him! Please..." I wailed miserably, aware that tears were streaming down my cheeks, and I fought Ithiell's hold as he pulled me away, feeling the whole ship start to tip slowly, the creaking almost downing out my cries.

"Donnie! He needs us! Please, let me _go_!"

"Dammit Jade, we need to move! Everyone, _evacuate_! This ship's going down!" I heard Ithiell saying, but I fought to get to that room, finally pulling myself free of his grasp and running towards the room, my heart aching horribly as I reached it, looking-

"Jade!" Suddenly I was tackled to the ground, another explosion blowing up something above our heads, Ithiell covering me as best he could as the supports above us started to crash down.

I knew thought... he couldn't have... he couldn't have survived...

I screamed, feeling Ithiell hold me closer as the hallway crashed around us, muttering things I eventually started to make sense of out of the chaos around us.

"I'm so sorry Jade, I'm so sorry we couldn't save him! I'm so... I'm so sorry..."

Something suddenly exploded through the wall beside us, making us both cry out, and I grabbed onto Ithiell as I saw a light shining from outside, something large and purple appearing above us, seeming to almost cover us from the falling debris.

Before we could move to find out what, a large tentacle wrapped itself almost gently around us, picking us up and pulling us out of the crumbling ship.

 _Donnie... no..._

Some crazed, panicked part of my mind was determined to get out of the hold I was now in and going back to get Donnie, but another part knew... it just knew...

I sobbed madly, unable to hold it in, feeling sick as well as broken, knowing the love of my life was... was...

I felt the tentacle place us gently down, and Ithiell moved to get up, trying to pull me with him, but I just... I couldn't move.

I curled myself into a ball on the floor, holding myself and crying uncontrollably. I couldn't believe... how much loosing him hurt.. I couldn't move... I couldn't-

"Jade" Ithiell's hands were on my shoulders, but I barely felt them. My heart was hurting so bad-

"Oh my god, Jade!" Suddenly someone else was there, hitting the floor next to me and trying to move me, but I was curled up too tightly.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"What's going on?!"

Voices... just... voices...

Nothing else mattered...

"She's okay, she's not hurt"

"Where's everyone else?"

"I... I don't...Sequae! I need to commnunicate-"

"Already done, you won't believe-"

Everything kind of vanished in the background. My mind was now going over everything... we shouldn't have... I should have been there... why-

 _Jade Creature_

A voice, in my head...

 _Jade Creature... I can feel your pain..._

 _Sequae?_ I wondered, feeling it touch my mind, it's sorrow and sympathy almost hard to bear at a time like this.

 _Jade Creature, I have... I have found..._

Suddenly I was snapped back to the real world, hearing the voices around me cry out now. I managed to tear myself from my misery, looking up and seeing another tentacle coming down towards us.

"Should we move?" I finally realised it was Serah asking. I stood up, noticing something in that tentacle-

"No" I managed to get out, tears welling up in my eyes as I noticed the purple bandanna...

Some stupid part of me hoped against hope that Sequae wasn't just bringing me his dead...

Donnie...dead...

I let out a horrid sob as Sequae finally placed Donnie down, and I ran to him, collapsing on the ground next to his... next to him, seeing the cuts and burns all over his body... he was badly hurt...

"Jade, please move" I felt hands tug me gently, but I grabbed Donnie and held on, making a strangled sound as I shook my head.

This was my Donnie... he couldn't... no...

Hope in me was fading as I saw how bad he actually was.

It wasn't fair! Giving me hope, and then... and then...

Gradually, Rtaia found a way to move around me, checking his pulse, and I looked up at her.

The look on her face was hard to read. She finally let out a small breath, closing her eyes before looking back at me, then at the others behind me.

"He is alive. But... he is barely holding on. He... Jade, I do not believe he will make it..."

"No... please... please don't... I moved her away, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, pulling his upper half into my lap and starting to rock, the ache in my heart getting worse"

"Jade... even with-"

"No"

They couldn't just tell me he was alive, but they weren't going to even _try_ to help him...

He was going to die anyway? No... no...

This couldn't be happening! Why give me hope and then take it away?

Life was so...so cruel...

I stared blankly at the others as they argued over it, part of me finally seeing the huge creature named Sequae towering above us. To my surprise, he was staring back down at me, sorrow in those huge eyes of his. I noticed... in spite of his size... Sequae really wasn't as terrifying as I had imagined.

He had skin something similar to the turtles, and his body seemed to be made of a strangely rounded head, with the red eyes and almost thin mouth just below them. His skin was a soft kind of purple with black streaks over his body, almost like a tiger, seeing what I guessed was about eight legs. But... his face... for some reason I now knew it was a he... he wasn't really scary at all. Just... he looked lost. Young as well, like the rest of us...

A sudden horrible laughter had everyone stopping, all of us turning to see the one person I didn't really want to see at a time like this.

"What the... how the..." Kristiana stuttered, half pointing at Jake in disbelief as he continued to laugh, almost reminding me of Visser Two...

Jake just laughed harder, all his attention now on me. His laughter just cut straight through me, especially... now that...

"Look at you! Look at your _freak_ lover now!"

Emotions just exploded through me...hate... anger... hurt... fear...

"He's dead!" Jake slapped his leg, bending down from laughing so hard "He's dead and look at you!"

"Who are you calling a _freak_!"

"What the _hell_ do you think is funny here!"

"Jake, you better stop or it _won't_ end well for you" Ithiell growled, he and the two girls rounding on Jake. But nothing... nothing seemed to matter to him. He just... he just kept laughing...

"He's dead! Jade, he's _dead_!"

 _Why... why won't he... stop... not..._

Pain shot through me, tears welling in my eyes again as I finally dug my head into Donnie's cheek, unable to stop the well of emotions and just sobbing madly.

"You're _pathetic_ Jade! I _warned_ you! I _warned_ you, and now you're like _this_! Ha!"

"Jake, cut it out!" Serah roared, and I felt someone touch my back, unable to move or respond, the hurt just becoming too much...

 _Jade Creature... look..._

I felt Sequae pulling gently at my mind, trying to ease the torment I was going through, even for just a moment. I managed to take a deep breath, looking up towards him, and then at Jake, who was still laughing and yelling out obscenities...

The ground shook, and everyone started to cry out. I noticed... well...

Jake seemed to be frozen in place. In the middle of a hefty laugh, but that wasn't what drew my attention.

It was the huge tentacle that was now lifting into the air behind him, and I realised what Sequae was going to do, my mind to shattered to respond in any way.

The others gasped, but no one went to move him or help him, and I noticed Ithiell scowling, his hands clenched tightly as he watched the scene before him, almost nodding at Sequae.

In seconds the tentacle came crashing down, crushing Jake under it.

"Hooooly crap!"

"Did that just really happen?!"

"Well... now we have one less idiot to deal with" Ithiell growled again.

I would have been relieved, except now my attention turned to Donnie, who I held more tightly...

 _Please don't die..._

Before I could protest in any way, the tip of a tentacle touched Donnie's forehead, and it felt like Donnie sucked in a deep breath, but then it was gone. Sequae moved away, and I looked back up at him.

 _He may survive. The rest is up to you and your friends._

I felt tears spring to my eyes then, looking up at him gratefully _Thank you Sequae, you've done... so much..._

 _You are... worthy... Jade Creature..._

 _I... we need to..._

 _Yes._ Was his answer, and I managed to focus my eyes on Rtaia, who was looking quizzically down at me.

"Sequae thinks he might survive... please... please help..." Tears sprung to my eyes again, and she half looked at Sequae, before joining me on the ground, then over at the other girls.

"Get my medical bag, I will do what I can for him here, then we must take him back to the base for treatment"

"I'll stay here and help Sequae" Ithiell and Rtaia shared a look, both nodding. I noticed Serah had taken off, but Kristiana was still here.

"I want to help... uh.. Sequae too"

"You just want to learn about your powers" Ithiell half rolled his eyes at her, but then his focus was instantly back on me.

"Are you going to be okay?"

I was instantly back in tears, looking down at my beloved turtle and biting my lip.

"Only if he will be"

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We'd almost lost him three times. Each time... my heart was torn to pieces. It was touch and go... and each time Rtaia and Mihra had barely been able to bring him back...

Rtaia didn't know how much longer we could keep him alive for. He was fighting a battle none of us could help with. He was on the very edge, and all we could do was watch... and wait.

I stared at him from my place on the chair next to the bed, my eyes sore from crying, and my head hurting from trying to keep awake for as long as possible. I couldn't sleep.. every time my eyes closed the image of Donnie finally loosing the battle sprung to my mind, and my eyes snapped back open. I had to be there... for whatever happened. I had to...

Leo had been kind enough to get me a bucket, for the times when I had to be sick, so I didn't have to leave the room or make a mess on the floor beside me. He had tried to get me to leave the room, to go rest or even just get something to eat, but I refused. My body was now reacting to everything that had happened by trying to remove anything that was left in my stomach. After a while... it became less frequent, at least.

I knew Leo, as well as the other turtles and Splinter, must have been hurting just as much if not more than me. They'd just lost April, and the thought of loosing their brother as well...

One turtle, or Splinter, took turns being in the room with me. I don't think any of them wanted to be far from him, or...

I rubbed my eyes, looking at the turtle that was now with me. Leo's head kept dropping, then jerking back up. He looked exhausted. Finally... his head dropped one last time, and I moved my aching body towards him, grabbing the blanket from the floor beside him and putting it over him, then moving to curl back up on my seat next to Donnie.

I'd found out that the ship that had attacked us was actually a Chanaiben ship... the Aerionna, to be exact. Lowri's ship. Rtaia's older brother had picked up a distress signal from the planet, but it had taken him months to get to us. Where the distress signal had come from though... none of us really knew.

He had seen the Pool Ship hovering over the city we'd once lived in... and had taken the initiative to attack it. He thought... he thought we were trying to take it down... so he was trying to be the cavalry... the hero...

Anger burned in my chest, looking at my unmoving Donnie, knowing if he hadn't... if he had tried to contact us first... Donnie wouldn't be in this position...

Safe to say, he had steered clear of the medical bay ever since we'd arrived back here. His actions... had actually cost the lives of two more people...

Ax and Cassie. Neither had made it out of that ship alive. Ax tried to be a hero himself, trying to keep the ship from going down... if Amanda and Robert hadn't left when they had... they would be among the dead as well.

The Animorphs were probably faring about as well as the turtles were. We were all broken...

For the moment, we were all taking time to regroup and rest. Well... the others were. From what I could piece together... we'd taken the city back. Yeerks were now dying inside their hosts, due to the fact that it seemed like all the Kandronas had been poisoned in some way or another. Ithiell had surmised that Jake had a part in it... although how he'd managed it, none of us really knew. Now he was gone as well... we couldn't really ask him or-

"Hey" Came the soft voice from the doorway, startling me out of my trance. I was surprised to see both Kristiana and Serah there, Serah going to check on Leo as Kristiana came to me.

"Hey" I responded, my eyes back on Donnie again, unable to stop myself from reaching over, slipping my hand into his unmoving one. His hand... was so heavy and cold... so lifeless...

"You doing okay?" She asked, a hand on my back making me look up at her. I felt tears spring to my eyes again, my head feeling like it was about to explode.

She sighed, rubbing my back a little before turning to look at Donnie. Tubes were sticking out of him, and a machine was down his throat, breathing for him. We had taken all his gear off as well, so he now looked... well, to me... he just didn't look right. Even though I'd seen him without his mask and glasses countless times now... just seeing him like this...

I missed his smile, I missed pushing his glasses up on his face... missed his arms around me...

I started to cry again, putting my head down on the bed, knowing what I missed most was his voice. All I wanted was to hear his voice again... hear the funny high pitches, and deep low tones when we spoke... his laughter...

What I wouldn't give to hear all that again. And knowing I might never be able to... was ripping my heart to shreds.

"Guess he hasn't changed?" Serah said, and I felt Kristiana move away from me, probably going over to look at the monitors.

"No, no change. For better or worse" Kristiana's voice was solemn.

"Do you think you can use-"

"I dunno. I can try"

"Hey, Jade" Another hand on my back forced me to look back up, meeting Serah's eyes again and seeing her almost look like she wanted to cry as well, instead seeing her force a smile.

"Sequae taught me a little something after he got back to his original size" Kristiana half smiled at me, making me turn to look at her "I'm going to try it on Donnie... okay?"

"I... I don't think.." My words came out hoarse.

"Are you sure it won't make him worse, or kill him?" Leo's voice startled us, and we all turned to see him getting up out of his chair, his brow furrowed as he looked from the girls to me.

"No, it won't. Sequae would do it himself, if he could fit in the base. For now... he's just outside, and..." Kristiana closed her eyes for a moment, half looking towards the door, before opening them again.

"He thinks I should try. He's going to mentally guide me"

"Try what exactly" Leo looked about the same as I felt.

"A little uh... how does he... ah, something like... mental healing. I tried it on Splinter... he seems to be doing better already"

"You did something to Splinter?" Now even I was annoyed.

"He's okay guys, really. Rtaia did her check over and even her results agreed" Serah jumped to Kristiana's defense a little.

"Whatever you do... it better help" A voice from the door way, all of us surprised to see Amanda there, leaning against the door with her arms folded. Her eyes were narrowed at the girls, before landing on me.

"I don't want Jade or the boys hurt anymore than they have been... understood?"

"That's the last thing we want" Kristiana assured her, and I watched as she moved around to the head of the bed, Leo offering the chair he had been sitting on, feeling an arm go around my shoulders and looking up to see Amanda there, smiling halfheartedly down at me.

"All right, let's do this" I saw Serah was near Leo, linking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder as he looked worriedly from Donnie to Kristiana. I turned to Kristiana, who had now placed a palm on each side of Donnie's temple, putting her head down and closing her eyes.

Her brow furrowed, and she looked like she was focusing on something, making a strange kind of grunt. I saw a strange kind of light almost being emitted out of her hands...

"Whoa..." Amanda muttered, making me realise I wasn't just imagining what I was seeing. From the looks on both Leo and Serah's faces, I now knew I wasn't.

Kristiana made another sound, almost straining it seemed, and at that moment I saw an image flash through my head.

It was of Donnie. He was standing in the middle of a white room, confused it seemed. Another flash, and a door appeared near him...

Then it was gone, and I saw Kristiana jerk, moving her hands away and then grabbing her nose with one hand. It was then I saw the blood...

"Kristiana!" Amanda and Serah were suddenly both beside her, and she shooed them away, getting up a little.

"Just a nose bleed. I'm okay" She grabbed a tissue, half jamming it up her nose as we all looked at her expectantly.

"What did you do?" I managed to ask, staring at her. I wasn't sure if it was the mental link I still strangely shared with Sequae, but... I knew, that image...

No one else but me and Kristiana had seen it.

"Yeah, what was the light around your hands?" Leo folded his arms, looking confused and yet hopeful all at once.

"I... well... I tried to guide him..."

"How do you even know how to do that?" I wondered, looking back down at Donnie. He still didn't look any different... but...

"As I said, Sequae. It's been interesting spending time with him over this last week or so. He's... actually not a bad alien at all"

I nodded, sighing " All he wants is to just go home"

"And we'll get him there" Ithiell was now there, coming into the room and looking at all of us. Even he looked exhausted.

"First we need to find or build a ship big enough to take him home" Leo muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"So... did it work?" I looked hopefully at Kristiana, who was half holding her head back now, with her eyes closed on the chair.

"I... Sequae is telling me wont know for a few days at least. I thought it had, but..."

She looked at Donnie, sighing.

"He doesn't look any different"

Leo's heavy sigh made us all turn to him, seeing him pinching the end of his nose. He looked defeated...

"I really... don't know how much more of this I can take" He finally admitted, looking like he was barely holding on.

"Let us girls make you and Jade something to eat... okay hun?" Serah moved, to give Leo a quick hug, kissing his cheek before leaving the room, with Amanda and Kristiana in tow, still holding the tissue to her nose.

"I think it's Mikey's turn to clean" I heard her say as she left, turning to now look at the boys.

"You guys all right?" Ithiell asked, sharing a look with Leo. Leo himself looked beyond tired, and I knew he'd probably shed his own tears in private... or with Serah.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just..." He stopped, turning to look at me, then Donnie. I was still holding onto his limp hand, cradling it with both of my own.

"I'll make sure Rtaia doesn't give up on him" Ithiell patted his shoulder "Why don't you go get something to eat?"

"I don't think I can-"

"As one leader-" Ithiell shook his head, then looked up at Leo "As one _brother_ to another... please go get something to eat. I don't want you crashing out on me too"

Leo looked a little torn, looking at Donnie again.

"I'll be here until you come back, okay?" Ithiell assured him, smiling up at him. Finally, he sighed, nodding and leaving.

Then he turned to me.

"I'm not going" I told him flatly, surprised when he shook his head.

"I wouldn't even try to ask you now. I know... I know how much it..." He sighed, finally coming over and pulling the second seat beside me, sitting down and looking at me apologetically.

"But... I'd like you to start trying to eat a little from now on... okay? _Pia_ knows what I'd do without you Jade..." His eyes had now turned pleading.

"Ithiell, I don't know if I..." I turned back to Donnie, feeling another surge of emotions as I brought his hand up to my face, pressing it against my cheek and feeling tears start to well up again.

"All I ask is that you try" He said, a hand on my back before he took it away.

All I could do was nod, and the two of us fell into a comfortable silence, both of us staring at Donnie's quiet form.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Time went past so quickly, but so slowly. Another week, from what I could guess.

I had kept my word to Ithiell and tried to have some of the soup the girls were now making me, knowing I probably wouldn't be able to eat anything solid at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if they had laced some of it with sedatives, because every now and then I just became too tired to keep my eyes open, falling asleep in the chair I sat in.

The problem was... when I slept... my mind made me dream of horrible things... finally loosing Donnie...

I was able to snap awake a few times, but others...

I was having another dream, one which I found harder to wake from. I was at a funeral.. it was Donnie's funeral...

Eventually, I managed to shake myself awake, finding I had woken up into a cold sweat, shivering a little as I did. Instantly, my attention was Donnie, having a moment of utter panic as I looked up at him, then the monitors. Then the nausea hit, and I tried to suck in a deep breath as I fought it down, leaning back on the chair and closing my eyes.

Thankfully, I was able to keep last nights dinner down, and I opened my eyes, now aware of another presence in the room.

I turned slightly in my chair, finding Lowri of all people there, noticing my movement and looking at me sadly. Behind him, Raph was in the chair by the door, snoring slightly. One of the girls must have placed a blanket over him...

"What do you want?" I almost hissed, turning to look back at the motionless form in front of me.

"I came to see how he is doing" Came the deep, mature voice I had once loved listening to when I was younger. Lowri was at least ten years older than the rest of us, and unlike Ithiell, he was tall and built for a Chanaiben. He was once a very strong, positive person for me growing up through all the years of war. Now...

Now all I could see was the person who caused me to loose the love of my life. The hatred I now felt for him...

"Well, now you've seen him, so you can leave again"

"Jade, I-"

"Lowri, don't. Just... just don't"

If I had been thinking logically, I would have known that Lowri didn't mean any of this, and it was stupid to blame him. But the rest of me...

The rest of me couldn't even look at him. I hated him, and I hated him because... in my mind... he'd done this to Donnie.

"I am sorry Jade. I know... I let you down-"

"I said... stop" I growled, turning to stand, glaring at him. He met my eyes with his own, looking determined, and shook his head.

"No, I am going to make-"

"Well you cant!" I yelled, unintentionally waking Raph up in the process, who turned to look at the two of us.

"Jade, I-"

"STOP! JUST STOP!" I screeched, not caring anymore, going to shove him roughly, but he barely moved at all.

"This is _your_ fault! Donnie being hurt is _your_ fault! So just... fuck off!" I smacked his chest, surprised to find a clawed hand wrapping itself gently around my wrist as I pulled backwards.

"Jade?" His voice was so calm, so level, it just seemed to fuel my anger more.

"No! Stop! Let me go!" I tried to punch him with my other hand, finding he'd grabbed my other hand when I went to pull that back.

"Jade, please calm down" His plea was in such a level tone, and I finally just lost it.

"NO! I WON'T CALM DOWN! DONNIE IS PROBABLY GOING TO DIE ANY DAY NOW BECAUSE YOU FUCKED UP! YOU SHOT FIRST AND ASKED LATER! YOU DID THIS TO HIM! IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S YOUR _FAULT_!" I screamed as loudly as I could, thrashing violently to get out of his grasp, finding he wasn't letting me go.

"I know, but I-"

"No! I won't listen to anything you have to say any more!" I tried to kick him, finding he'd blocked me with his tail, finally letting out a frustrated scream and just twisted madly.

"Come on sis, you can't-" Raph trailed off, probably at a loss as to what to say. I knew Raph had to agree with me! I knew-

"I cannot change the past, but let me at leas try and help you!" Lowri finally got out.

"No! You can't help me! I can't-" Something in me finally broke, and my legs collapsed under me, half hanging before Lowri joined me on the floor. He was still half holding onto my wrists.

"I can't... live without him" I finally admitted in a sob, my heart aching at the thought of trying to live without him.

I couldn't. That was the only thing that came to my mind. I couldn't live, or go on without my sweet turtle...

So I sat on my legs, crying uncontrollably with Lowri in front of me, and Raph by my side.

I couldn't... I couldn't... I couldn't...

He was my world. He was my everything. He pulled me through the darkest times... been there for me... loved me for who I was...

Imaged flashed through my head as I cried. The good times we'd had...

The first time I'd seen his face above me. That scared... surprised face behind those big glasses as he realised the animal that had been about to attack Splinter was actually just a girl.

The day we'd first kissed. That sweet smile as he pulled me close to him...

The night he'd surprised me, and we'd finally told each other how we'd felt. Then the giggle as he realised he now had a girlfriend...

Our first night that we truly gave ourselves to each other. Feeling closer to him than I ever had...

I had loved every moment of being with him... the laughter, the stupidity... the hope... even the fear and the bad times. Every moment with him had been so precious.

All of that... all of that was gone. And... I'd probably have to say goodbye to him... to my Donnie...

And I couldn't do it. I couldn't...

I screamed at the ground wordlessly, tears and snot and whatever else streaking down my face as the last of my hope broke inside.

"Jade, please" Lowri let go, and big arms went around me now, pulling me close to a hard chest... like Donnie's chest...

I couldn't answer him, continuing to cry as my turtle brother held me, trying to calm me, but I was past any point of calming down.

So I cried, and he held me, until I couldn't cry any more. I just dug my face into his shoulder, hiccuping every now and then. My head and chest were aching horribly.

"I think-"

"Not a good time" Raph grunted at Lowri, who fell silent, moving away from us and getting up.

I heard others come into the room, a couple of them muttering something as others I felt move beside Raph, hands on my lower back and shoulder, wherever Raph's arms weren't wrapped securely around me.

I couldn't say goodbye to Donnie... I couldn't think of-

More muted voices, and I heard some of them talking behind me, but I didn't care.

Then... as if a lightning bolt... a dry and raspy voice cut through all the others. A voice that said my name, above all others. A voice... a voice I never thought I'd hear again.

"Jade" He said.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Hmmm, I wonder who it is?**_

 _ **Review and you shall know!**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	23. I'll Be Right Here

**Chapter 23  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

"Come on, please?" I pleaded, holding the spoon up, finding it was once again gently pushed away.

"I'm not hungry" Was Donnie's deep throaty reply as he shook his head, his eyes half closed. I knew he was tired, but-

"You need to eat something" I protested, trying to bring the bowl and spoon up together, but he once again pushed them away.

"I'll eat later"

"You said that last time" I frowned at him, and he sighed.

I was so happy hearing his voice for the first time, and knowing... knowing he now had a chance. Knowing he wasn't just teetering on the edge of life or death. I think I would have squashed him if I hadn't been so weak myself in that moment, hugging him as tightly as I could. He'd returned it... we'd all had a good cry...

Rtaia had suggested the best course of action was to start getting Donnie to eat as soon as possible, as the nutrients would build his strength up to a point where we wouldn't have to worry about him slipping backwards health wise. But... Donnie was making it difficult, to say the least.

"Rtaia told me this has what you need to get better"

"Jade, I know you mean well, but I really don't know if-"

"Donatello..." I warned, seeing him look at me now, almost annoyed. He painfully moved his arm up to his face, shifting his glasses up. It was the only thing he was allowed to wear...

"So when was the last time _you_ ate? Or even _slept_ for that matter? Look at you..." Now his warm hand was cupping my cheek, and I felt tears well in my eyes again... damn his hold on me...

He must have read something on my face, because his demeanor changed, and he worked his way into a sitting position, with a little help from me, taking my arm and pulling me close.

"Only until I say no more" He finally conceded, and I half curled up against his side on the bed, positioning the small bowl, dipping the spoon into it and moving it to his waiting mouth. He sipped at it slowly, humming a little.

I went to give him another, hope starting to fill my chest, seeing him now giving me a look again.

"You didn't answer my question"

"Don't... just... we're focusing on getting you better now" I swirled the spoon in the soup, bringing it up to try and give him another mouthful. He took it, finally going quiet and just letting me feed him.

When he was halfway through the bowl he stopped me, and I looked up at him again.

"When did you sleep last?"

I sighed, looking back at the soup in the bowl and swirling it around again, starting to get annoyed. He'd almost died... more than once... and he wanted to know how _I_ was?

I was stuck between anger and wanting to burst into tears again.

"I... I don't remember" I told him honestly, looking towards the door and feeling tears spring back to my eyes. He was making this harder than it needed to be!

"Jade..."

I turned to meet his sweet caring eyes, biting my lip and finally just letting the tears flow.

"Donnie... I _couldn't_ sleep, knowing you were probably going to die. The thought of loosing you-" My voice caught in my throat, finally putting the bowl on the table beside us and looking up at him. He cupped my cheek gently again, and I finally moved to curl into his side, putting my arms around him as his arm went around my waist. I laid my head on his chest, relieved to feel the warmth there as well.

"I'm sorry I scared you"

I shook my head "Don't you dare. Just... we need to work on getting you better"

He sighed, but didn't say anything else, and I continued "You just gotta let me take care of you now, okay? You've taken care of me... now it's my turn"

"I know, I just... want you to take care of yourself too. You look a mess"

I managed to snort "Well thanks. I thought you were meant to tell me I looked beautiful no matter what"

"You do"

I moved to look up at him, kissing his cheek before curling into his side again. It felt so nice to have him back... after so long...

I felt myself drifting, hearing Donnie letting out a small snoring sound, pulling me closer to him.

"Hey guys"

We both jerked awake to see Leo enter the room, an apologetic smile on his face as he moved to sit on the chair I'd just been on.

"Scare the crap outta us why don't you" I muttered, hearing Donnie make a sound of agreement as I moved to sit up, slightly pulling away from him.

"Sorry, I just... I wanted to check in and see how you were" He said softly, and the look on his face made me instantly forgive his intrusion.

The turtles and Splinter were overjoyed that Donnie had woken up, and for a lot of the two days beforehand they had been... I guess you could call it... hogging the time with Donnie. Which I didn't mind too much, just knowing he was all right...

And I could only guess Leo, being the oldest and most protective of his brothers... was still worried he might go backwards, so he was keeping a keen eye on Donnie. He'd been checking in every time Donnie had fallen silent. I knew he'd also probably been listening in on our conversation... and us falling silent had probably worried him...

Raph, I knew, had been trying to wrangle Mikey, as he'd become almost hyperactive when he'd found out Donnie had woken up. He'd been... a little too much for Donnie to handle straight off, so Raph had made it his duty to keep him in check, so he wouldn't stress Donnie out too much. I noticed it had also improved his mood, and I guess the distraction was good for him. Gave him something to focus on.

Splinter... well, Splinters relief was also mixed in with a horrible grief that I knew wouldn't leave him so easily. I knew what happened with April still plagued his mind. We'd only spoken about it once since then, and he had admitted he did feel responsible. But there was nothing anyone could say or do for him that would help him now. It would just take time, and possibly seeing his son improve...

"I'll forgive you... but only cause you're cute" I smiled at him, winking a little and seeing his eyes widen a little. I heard Donnie let out a strangled cough.

Leo shook his head, and I looked from him to Donnie, who was now wheezing a little from the effort to stop coughing.

"It was a joke guys... a really bad one I guess" I sighed, patting the side of Donnie's shell and watching as he finally just took a deep breath, settling back against the bed frame.

"I think you gave Donnie a heart attack" Leo tried to joke, and Donnie let out a small snort.

"No... but apparently I've already had a few of those..."

That seemed to solemn the mood, and we all sat there for a little, all of us just thinking.

"Hey hey!" We all looked towards the door to see Marco stride in, smiling as Ithiell and Mikey came in after him, Mikey carrying what looked like a small television. I noticed Raph stop by the doorway, his eyes on all three of them.

"Why are you guys so... chipper?" I asked, watching as they set the small tv down on the edge of the bed, Ithiell moving to turn it on, tuning it.

"Because with my moms help, we..." Marco indicated to the television, as a news report flashed onto the screen, and Ithiell moved away.

"-another giant ship has miraculously been destroyed. We believe this may have been due to a group of local vigalanties-"

I caught images of what looked like the Aerionna swooping down, then neatly shooting past another massive pool ship, taking a shot and seeing something blowing up. Then the camera zoomed in to what looked liked Visser- I mean, Marcos mum, on the roof of a building nearby, talking to someone via a headpiece that Ithiell had made, then came another explosion, this time from inside the ship...

"Whoa..." Was all I could say, looking at the three. Mikey looked like he wanted to jump all over his brother, but a noise from Raph stopped him.

"We managed to take back Marco's town" Ithiell smiled now "And this time with zero casualties. Vis- I mean, Marco's mother was able to pinpoint all the weak points which we could target. Even Sequae helped"

"Sequae?"

"He's offered to help us until this world has been taken back. Now he's back to his original size, he can get around alot more easily, and he's been trying to teach Kristiana a bit"

"Hows your mum going?" I turned to Marco, worried for a moment if the question would upset him. Instead a huge grin spread across his face, and he almost puffed his chest out.

"It's really wonderful to have my mom back! Her and dad are talking about where we're going to live... I got my family back" He surprised me by suddenly moving to my side, his arms around my shoulders in a quick hug.

"Thanks Jade... wouldn't have been able to do it without you"

I smiled myself, hugging him back before he pulled away.

"Its what we do, don't we?"

"So... maybe next time, you could let me in on your plan?" Leo finally looked at Ithiell, who nodded, looking a little sheepish.

"Sure, but we'll discuss that later. Right now..."

I saw him looking from me to Donnie, smiling a little.

"Right.. rest..." Leo turned to the two of us, and Ithiell and Marco both ushered Mikey out the door after he'd picked up the tv. Leo go up, patting his brother on the shoulder, then mine, before following them. I saw Raph move so they could get out, then stood back in the doorway.

His hard demeanor suddenly faltered, and he looked almost upset, smiling sadly at me.

"Get some sleep you two, and... no dying brother" With that, he left, and I turned to look back up at Donnie.

To my surprise he smiled at me, managing to scooch himself back down to lay comfortably on the bed, pulling me down with him and half covering us with the blanket.

"Donnie, I-"

"You heard our leaders" He said in a deep voice "We need to rest"

"I think they meant you" I told him, even as I curled myself up against him, feeling him pull me as close as he could without hurting himself. I felt my heart ache a little, realising again how much I'd actually missed him...

I felt him slowly pull his glasses off, moving to set them on the table next to the soup, then moved back to lay down, grunting a little from the effort.

I rested my arm across his waist, my head now on his chest and hearing his slow and almost relaxed beating of his heart.

I felt myself drifting, suddenly hearing "Jade?"

"Hmm?" I managed to move my head to look up at him, and into those beautiful green eyes.

"I love you"

For some reason, it made me smile "And I have always loved, and will always love you Donnie"

He laughed a little "Cheeky girl"

With that, we both slipped into a comfortable sleep.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I sighed, stepping out of the bathroom and pushing my damp hair back a little. Instantly my eyes were on the closed door, where Donnie was. I was a little annoyed the boys had booted me out, but Rtaia had told me he needed a thorough check over, and then Splinter and his brothers asked for some time with him.

I knew the real reason why they had booted me. Leo was concerned I had gone back to not eating, as he'd subtly told me to get something to eat as he hurriedly spoke about his brothers wanting to see him again.

I had to admit though, I had been... a little over protective of him. I'd barely left his side in over a month. In that time, Ithiell and Lowri had been working on getting more Chanaiben ships to divert to earth, to help us in our fight. So far, only two other ships had responded, but they were at least another week or two away. I honestly didn't know how long this war would last... we'd managed to get rid of two of the Yeerks pool ships, but there were still countless more all over the world. The only thing I could guess, was that we'd have to take back country by country.

We now had our city back, and the people in it were slowly starting to rebuild. Lowri and Mihra had been able to get some supplies to the people who were now there, and they had started to go back to the apartments and houses that were there.

"You smell much better now!" I jumped as I saw Amanda pop up beside me. She'd practically grabbed me, dragging me to the bathroom and telling me I stunk, and I had to have a shower straight away. So, when she'd given me the chance... I'd gone into Donnie's and my room, grabbing some things and going to stand in the running water. I had to admit, it did feel good to feel clean again.

I didn't realise how long it had been since I'd showered, until she'd pointed it out...

"So...thats.. good?" I responded, and she took my arm gently, leading me to the kitchen.

"Um... _yes_. Now..." She moved over to one of the fridges, opening it and humming, before pulling out some leftover food. She placed it on the counter in front of me, smiling a little as she then grabbed another plate of something.

"Now... you're going to try and eat something missy... and I won't hear no"

I groaned, moving and hitting my head on a wall, finding someone else was now there, pulling me away.

"What in the world are you doing?" Serah asked me, her dark eyes alight. I sighed, looking out-

"Jade, he's _fine_. He's with his turtle brothers and Splinter... and I'm sure when they're done you can have him back" Serah turned me around, practically shoving me back to the counter, where I looked at the two plates of food.

"I just..."

"Jade?"

I looked up into the big brown eyes of my oldest friend, seeing her scolding me without even saying anything... like she always did...

"All right, all right, I'll try. But if I'm sick I'm blaming you guys" I muttered, moving forward and picking some things on the plates, then feeling Serah take my shoulders and guide me into the dining room as Amanda reheated some of it for me.

She practically shoved me into my seat, going back to the kitchen, and I looked around the dining room. My eyes landed on the other person in the room, and I took in her appearance.

She was holding a mug tight in her hands, her eyes looking tired and puffy. She looked like she didn't even notice I was there...

"Hey Rach" I managed to get out, and she jerked, her head snapping around like she suddenly realised I was there. Then she sighed, closing her eyes a little.

"Hey Jade"

"Are... you okay?" I half regretted the words as soon as I said them, seeing tears welling up in her eyes, biting her lip. I was instantly up, almost jumping over the table and moving to wrap my arms around her shoulders as she put the mug on the table.

"I...I..."

"It's okay" I sat beside her so I could hug her properly, and she moved to dig her head into my shoulder, letting out a big sob.

I let her cry on my shoulder for a little, before I felt her tense up a little, moving back to wipe her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper.

"Sorry"

"Don't be" I told her, wanting to say more but knowing I had to be patient right now.

"I... it's just..." She went to grab her mug, seeming like having something in her hands was helping "I don't know what to do without Cassie.. she was my best friend... and then there's Jake..."

I was more than tempted to tell her everything I thought of him, but I held back.

"I know Jake was an asshole, and don't get me wrong near the end I wanted to strangle him as much as anyone else. But... he... he was my cousin. We grew up together... he..."

"I'm so sorry Rachel" I sighed, bringing her in for another hug, which she seemed more than happy to accept.

"Raph has tried to... and I've tried to be there for him... so don't think he hasn't tried to help me... but... well..."

"You both just need time to grieve separately?" I finished for her, and I felt her nod a little.

"How is Tobias going? Is he around?"

"I think he's in the hanger bay. I don't think he's doing too well... without Ax..."

I finally moved away from her, just sitting beside her "I doubt he would be. He and Ax were family. And now..."

"Maybe I'll talk to him later" I frowned, looking at her as she looked tiredly over at me. Obviously she'd had alot of trouble sleeping herself...

She sighed, and just at that moment Serah and Amanda came out, bringing my plate of food out. Amanda noticed the two of us, going to sit beside me as Serah sat on the other side of Rachel.

"I knew you weren't okay" Serah muttered, a hand on her back. She sighed.

"You, eat" Amanda pointed to me, then pushed a fork into my hand "And you... you need to learn to trust us. I know we're not her, but... we can help"

"And me" I protested a little, but moved to poke a piece of meat with the fork I had been given. My stomach actually rumbled...

"I know" She said, finally taking a sip of what I guessed was coffee, then looked at the three of us "I just... she meant the world to me, and now shes gone. And... Jake..."

"Oh trust me honey, Jake-" Serah shut up when I shot her a look, and she cleared her throat instead.

"Jake was just really lost" Amanda said softly, and I muttered in agreement, almost gobbling down the plate in front of me, unable to stop myself.

"Yeah, he was really lost. I still-" She bit her lip, looking like she was trying not to cry.

"Go on honey, its okay" Serah rubbed her back gently.

"I just wish we'd been able to sort things out, and I hate knowing we left it in such a horrible way. I think the last thing I said to him was something around the lines of 'I wish you'd just jump off a cliff'. Boy do I regret that..." She took another swig of coffee, then rubbed her eyes a little.

"I think... Cassie... I feel the worst about... I thought she was behind me... I heard the roof collapsing behind me, but I just..."

"Oh sweety, please don't do that to yourself" We looked up to see Kristiana come into the room, sitting on the opposite side of the table with a mug in her own hands.

"How can I not. I didn't look back-"

"No, don't even" I turned to her, grabbing her arm as gently as I could and making her look at me.

"Don't you even think about blaming yourself. This was _not_ your fault, _none_ of it. Jake... well Jake was an ass... and I'm sure he regrets it wherever he ended up, and Cassie... Cassie could never hate you... or even think of blaming you..."

Tears welled up in her eyes again, and I instantly regretted saying anything, seeing Serah move to hug her now, letting her cry onto her shoulder.

"Rach... I could help you" Kristiana said slowly, leaning forward and looking at her when she had finally pulled away from Serah.

"No"

The answer seemed to take Kristiana by surprise.

"No... thank you, but... no. I need to feel this. I need to... I need to grieve over my friend and my cousin. I know you mean well but... I need this" Rachel continued, and Kristiana nodded, smiling a little.

"At least let us be here for you. And remember our pact with the boys all that time ago?" I asked her, hoping I wasn't about to make her cry again. She looked at me, smiling and nodding, taking my hand and squeezing it.

"I remember. I promised you... and I will. Just... don't be surprised if I follow you into the med bay at some point"

I laughed a little, shaking my head "I'm sure Donnie won't mind either. He's probably so sick of seeing me by now"

"Oh pish posh" Kristiana waved her hand dismissively "Donnie will never get sick of you"

"Did you.. just... pish posh me?" I blinked, unable to believe my ears.

To everyone's surprise Rachel burst out laughing, a happy laugh, patting both Serah's and my shoulders.

"You girls... I totally love you all!"

I don't think any of us knew what to say to that.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After I'd helped the girls clean up, and Rachel finally decided to go do something with the other three, I managed to sneak out to the hanger bay, looking around for the illusive bird-boy.

"Tobias?" I called out, looking around and up above me, then under the tables...

I moved to head outside, looking around and seeing what looked like Sequae there, not far from the entrance, chilling out in what looked like his own kind of covered scoop. Like... Ax had...

 _HELLO JADE CREATURE_ He said in his big booming voice, although not as earth shattering, as the doors shut behind me, and I went over to him as he turned to greet me.

"Hey big guy, how you doing out there? Hope you're not lonely" I moved over, avoiding stepping on his tentacles and moving to touch his side. As soon as I did...

 _I am fine Jade creature. And I am glad to see your Donatello creature is going to be well as well_ He now spoke directly to my mind, and it was almost like we could see into one anothers minds. I moved my hand back, finally seeing everything normally again.

"You've done well. Sorry we couldn't take you straight back to your planet" I told him. I'd just seen... almost like I'd experienced... him fighting... and snatches of his time with the Yeerks...

 _AND YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH A HARD TIME, JADE CREATURE. YET NOW YOU ARE... LOOKING FOR..._

"Tobias" I told him, seeing him move a little, pointing a tentacle in a certain direction.

 _HE IS IN THAT DIRECTION, IF YOU WISH TO SEARCH FOR HIM._

"Thanks Sequae. You... be good"

I saw Sequae's form jiggle a little,and a strange huffing sound come from him, realising he was laughing a little. He smiled at me, then used a tentacle to gently push me in Tobias's direction.

I closed my eyes, and with alot of difficulty, managed to shift into a golden eagle, lifting into the sky as I said (Just... if they ask... tell them where I am for me?"

 _OF COURSE, JADE... FRIEND._

I smiled inwardly, taking off above the treeline and heading in the direction he had pointed, surprised to see and image of Tobias in my head, before I actually reached him. It must have had something to do with my link with Sequae...

Surprisingly, he was sitting by the same stream I'd found Jake at those months earlier, morphed into a human of all things. He was looking out over the water, a lost look in his eyes.

(Tobias?) He jerked when I landed beside him, starting to slowly rise from the ground as I shifted back.

"Jeez! You scared me" He muttered, rubbing his eyes a little. I smiled sheepishly at him when I was myself again.

"Sorry, didn't mean to" With that, I moved to sit beside him, looking quietly out at the slow moving water.

We fell silent, before I finally asked "How long have you been sitting here for?"

"Uh... a while. I just... needed to be human for a little while"

"Tobias... have you gone over the two hour-"

He shook his head "No, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll demorph then remorph"

Before I could answer him, he was starting to shrink, and I was soon looking into the hard face of a hawk. He hadn't said it with any malice, more... more sadness...

Before I knew it he was a human again, and he sighed, stretching his legs out before laying down, his arms dropping down on the ground above his head.

"Tobias?"

"I forgot what it was like to have arms and legs. Or even how long my arms and legs used to be. Feels so weird..."

"So... you going to tell me why you're out here, in the middle of no where... morphed?"

He sat up, moving himself a little so he could look at me, a frown on his face.

"Honestly Jade? _I_ don't even know what I'm doing"

I tiled my head at him a little, and he sighed, looking back out at the water "I don't know what to do anymore. I just... Ax was a big part of my life, and I felt like I had a family with him. Yeah I know, he was an Andalite, and I don't know how all the morphing stuff works still but... well, he was my family. And now all that is just... gone"

"I know it doesn't mean much... but you got another kind of family back at the base. Worried about you, wondering if you're okay"

"It's not the same" He said plainly, and I sighed "I know"

We fell silent again, just sitting there and listening to the sounds of the forest around us.

"I'm sorry Jade. You really are a great friend, and I enjoy just talking to you. I just..." He seemed to have trouble finding the right words, before continuing "I feel like you're the only one I can talk to that isn't going to judge me"

I blinked, looking at him, surprised he'd made such a comment.

"Tobias?"

"Well... it's kinda true. Rachel is all gung ho, and Marco just makes dark jokes to get through all the bad times. Even now... I know he's hurting, but he won't admit it... it's like... hes in complete denial about Ax... and Cassie... and Jake..."

"Well, thank you I guess" Was all I could think to say, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I... I miss Cassie too. I mean... she did take care of me and make sure I was all right and that. And just... I just feel like we abandoned her there. I was first out of that place, out of the three of us... and I just... I kept going, until Rachel asked where Cassie was..."

"Don't you go blaming yourself too" I blurted before I could stop myself, realising I now had to explain my comment when Tobias gave me a strange look.

"Rachel is in tatters over all of it. She's not really as gung ho as you think"

He sighed, putting his head in his hands and staying there for a long time.

"I... I want to cry Jade, but I... it's been so long, and I just think I've forgotten..."

I put a hand on his back, rubbing it gently "You'll get there. I think.. I think it's the best way to get it out"

He sighed, looking out over the water, and we both fell silent again, me rubbing his back and him looking hurt and torn.

Eventually, after what seemed like half an hour or so... the tears finally started to flow.

"Tobias?" Was all I could say, as he brought his knees up to his chest, hugging his legs and digging his face into his kneecaps.

I finally heard a sob, and I put my arm around his back, resting my head half on his shoulder as he finally let all the pain out, comforting him as best I could.

"You'll be okay Tobias" I told him, watching as the sun started to finally rise above the treeline, the sky turning a pretty shade of pink as it hit the clouds.

After a while, I heard his sobs die down a little, and I gathered the courage to say something to him.

"Want to go for a morning fly?"

I saw him lift his head, turning to me and nodding, his face streaked with tears from crying. I gave him another big hug, before standing up and awkwardly pulling him to his feet.

I became a red-tailed hawk this time, and he demorphed, both of us now taking off and up towards the brightening sky.

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-**

 **Another big chapter... but I hope you enjoyed!**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	24. Enemies Alive!

**Chapter 24  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I saw the light starting to move in our direction, carefully pushing Donnie back into the shadows. I heard him grunt in protest, half pressing myself against his chest as the light passed near my feet, barely inches from where we were hiding.

When it was gone, I turned to look up at him, pointing a finger at him and whispering "You know what Leo said"

"I'm fine" Was his soft reply, and we both ducked under a piece of building as we heard something start to pass over our heads.

"You're my charge... and the love of my life... so I'm gonna watch you like a hawk tonight" I responded, pushing him back into shadows as another light passed near us, both of us standing stock still until it was gone.

Even in the darkness I could see he wasn't happy, but it was his first mission since he'd recovered, and Leo and I had both agreed to keep a close eye on him.

It was another two months, and the others, and sometimes myself, had gone on missions to wipe out the rest of the Yeerk Pool Ships in America. We'd found having the Chanaiben support was helpful, but now the rest of the Yeerks around the world were on high alert, and were on orders from the sub Vissers to shoot on sight. Which was... understandable, since we'd been so successful in our other missions.

But there was still a long way to go, and we all needed to work together now.

This mission, we were in the destroyed city of Paris of all places. I was surprised to see the Eiffel tower had survived this destruction, and now the Yeerk Pool Ship was hovering over it.

"My mum would either have a field day or a freak out knowing we were here" I told Donnie as we darted through the destroyed streets, keeping low and to the shadows.

"Why?" He asked as we ducked into another destroyed building, both of us kneeling against a corner as another light passed over.

"Uh...cause shes French?" I stuck my tongue out at him in the near darkness, both of us jerking at the sound of footsteps and diving under a still standing table. When they were gone, I continued "You should know that"

His response was a sheepish giggle, and I couldn't help but pat his shell a little as he moved out from under the table. I followed, both of us continued to our destination.

"Are you guys done fighting?" Came Kristiana's voice, and we both looked at each other, unable to hold in a grin.

"They're not fighting, but they might jump each other soon" Serah muttered, and I choked on my own spit.

"Now now, none of that until _after_ we're done" Rachel's voice in my head now, and I heard Donnie mutter something under his breath.

"All right, you guys are good to get to the roof" Ithiell's voice cut through the others "It's clear for now, but only move on Kristiana's signal"

"Copy" I looked at Donnie, and we both nodded at one another, heading for one of the still standing buildings, the Pool Ship looming in front of us.

Donnie grabbed me around the waist, pulling himself up on the edge of the building, flipping himself upwards as I let out a sound of protest.

"Oy" I finally managed to get out as he reached the top, letting go of me "I coulda done that myself you know"

"I know, I thought I'd help" Donnie smirked at me "You seem a bit heavier than when I last picked you up"

"Well...maybe you're just weaker than the last time you picked me up" I shot back, a little annoyed that he wanted to go into my weight at a time like this.

His grin widened a little, and I gave him a playful little kick him up the shell, towards the ledge where we needed to be.

"You want to get into it _now_ of all times?" I muttered, moving to the other side of the standing building, moving to grab the grappling gun I had, seeing him do the same.

"Please don't" Came Leo's sigh.

"No, just... observing" He moved his free arm to pull me close, giving me a quick kiss on the forehead, before re-positioning himself.

"Well... don't. You're making me feel self-conscious now"

"So what if she has?" Kristiana leapt to my defense.

"Girls, come on-" Ithiell started to say, but Serah cut him off.

"No... no we want to know why us girls have to be stick thin-"

"Serah, sweetheart... we're _turtles_ " Leo said in an oddly sweet voice "We don't focus on those kind of things"

"Well Donnie-"

"Oh for _Pia's_ sake, children! Focus, _please_!" Ithiell half snapped, bringing us all back to the present. I turned to look up at Donnie, who simply shifted his glasses up, then winked a little at me.

"You're still a meanie" I muttered, but blew him a kiss. He smiled cheekily at me, then the both of us ducked down as low as possible as a light shot up towards us, moving over our heads. A hyper giggle cut through all of us then, and then a giddy voice "This is the funniest thing I've heard, like... _ever_!"

Donnie and I looked at one another as there was a hard slap heard through our headpieces, and then Mikey whimper " _Owowowow_! Why'd you have to hit _theeeere_!"

"Cause you're being a brat" Kristiana muttered, and Ithiell growled again.

"Why can't you kids focus?"

"We're... almost... adults..." Serah protested, and he just sighed, then I heard "Kristiana, please tell me you and Mikey are in position"

"Almost... Mikey is being a pain, as _usual_ "

"Am not... I just.. got a little lost..."

"Mikey, hurry up! We only have one shot at this" Leo's demanding voice cut through all of us, and after Ithiell gave us the all clear again Donnie and I positioned ourselves again. I bit my lip a little, noticing it was a long way over from this rooftop...

"Okay, _now_ we're in position" Kristiana finally said, sounding nervous. I'd almost forgotten it was her and Serah's first mission on the ground with us...

"All right, everyone?"

"Ready" Raph's and Rachel responded almost in unison.

"Oh...were uh.. good here" I heard Serah giggle a little, and I sighed, knowing something must have happened with her and Leo.

"We're aimed and ready to go" Donnie said, and I heard Mikey snort, then a yelp as I guessed Kristiana slapped him again.

"All right... Kristiana, just give the word when you're ready to go" Ithiell said, and I knew he was somewhere above us. The Ellorian was hovering not far from the city, waiting for their que as well.

A few tense seconds, then I heard Kristiana taking a deep breath "Okay... I'm doing it... in five... four... three...

"I got her" Mikey responded, finally sounding serious. He had the important job of-

"Two... One..."

I heard her yell in anger as well as pain as we saw the force field drop, and the power start to short circuit.

"Go!" Ithiell yelled, and we shot the grappling guns, seeing them lodge into the side of the ship, watching as Ithiell uncloaked, passing under them and shooting holes in the large ship for all of us to get into. We both jumped off the edge of the building, letting the grappling hooks reel us up towards the huge ship, and I suddenly felt panicked, hoping we didn't slam into the side of this ship-

"We're in!" Mikey yelled "But her nose is bleeding! Hurry!"

"In!" Leo's response as Donnie and I angled ourselves to hit that hole, seeing Donnie breeze through it, yelping as I managed to move to hit the ship with my feet, groaning at the impact and looking down as Donnie popped his head out.

"Come on!" He held his arms out, and I let go of the gun, dropping into them. He yanked me inside as we heard Rachel yell "We're in!"

"Us too!" Donnie's response as we looked around the hallway, and I looked at the opening Ithiell had made, seeing the shield shoot up again.

"Is she okay?" I heard Ithiell ask as Donnie put me down and we finally started to move, running towards the area we needed to be in.

"I'm...I'm okay... " Kristiana's voice sounded a little weak.

"Are you going to be able to-"

"I'll be good Ithiell. You just go do what you have to do" She tried to sound strong, but I knew it had to have taken its toll. It was the first time she'd done something so taxing with her powers...

"All right, keep in contact with the Ellorian, I'll see you guys soon" I heard him say, knowing he had to go check on the second team. Lowri and his followers were taking down another Yeerk Pool Ship, with the help of Sequae and my old team, as well as Tobias, Marco and Splinter. Ithiell had devised that the best plan of action was to have eight of us go in and set charges. Kristiana had offered to take down the shields so we could get in, but Donnie and I would handle taking them down after that. And after what she'd just done... I knew she was really starting to become powerful...

"Uh oh.. they've seen us... Serah, shift!"

"On it!"

I heard Leo make a battle cry, and soon the sound of an animal was joining the fray. I just hoped she didn't freeze up...

"Us too... Rachel, get behind me!"

"No way!"

"Zappers!" I heard Leo yell as Donnie skidded to a stop, and I bumped into him, almost falling backwards.

"Uh, Jade..."

"Zappers!" I grabbed them from my belt, diving around Donnie and throwing them in front of us, seeing both human and Hork-Bajir controllers yelp, then fall to the ground.

"All right, we're almost there!" I told them, running past the now smoking bodies with Donnie following.

"Babe, stay here-YAH!" I heard Mikey yell, and the sounds of battle were in both mine and Donnie's ears as we ran, Donnie managing to pull up his blue screen, pointing ahead of us as the doors of the bridge loomed huge.

"Mikey, you okay!" Donnie asked as he moved to the panel beside the doors, starting to work away as I prepared to throw two smoke bombs, as well as an electrical "zapper" as Leo had called them.

"We're good!" Kristiana replied, then made a strained sound.

"If you need help..." I let it hang in the air as I heard the doors start to open, screeching as they did-

 _TSSSSEW!_

"Whoa!" I half ducked out of the way, tossing the smoke bombs in first and seeing the room fill as more shots were fired.

"Look out!" Donnie hit me, both of us collapsing to the floor as a shot barely missed us, and before we hit the ground I threw the zapper bomb in, hearing screams of anger.

"Up! Now!" I yelled, managing to get out from under Donnie, seeing him flip into the madness and hearing the crack of his Bo in the smoke.

I dove in as well, grabbing my dagger and using every trick and technique master Splinter had taught me, taking out my opponents with one quick slice, before moving onto the next.

(Yeeeeeeeee-haaaaaaw!) Came Rachel's giddy cry, and I heard Raph laugh a little as well. They were both enjoying this a little _too_ much...

"Ha!" I yelled, making quick work of the last enemy I could find in the smoke, seeing it start to clear as the body collapsed in front of me, standing up and looking around.

I caught the eyes of Donnie as he stood up, holding his Bo at the ready. Then both of us scanned the room, seeing we'd taken down all of the enemies on the bridge.

 _TSSSEEEW!_

We both ducked, looking to the door as we saw more controllers running up the hallway.

"I'll get the door! You get to work!" I yelled, running towards the panel next to the door, slamming my hand into it and screaming a little as another shot barely missed me.

"On it!" Was his high pitched reply as I threw another "zapper" out the door just before it shut, hearing screaming just as there was a metallic clang.

"Doors locked" Was Donnie's reply as he worked away, frowning a little.

"You know what to do. I'll hold the door" I turned, knowing there would almost definitely be more... and they would definitely find a way to get through before we were done.

"Charges set!" Came Leo's response "Heading to the next location"

"I'll try and clear a path" Donnie again, but I had no time to worry about what he was doing as I started to shift into the former Visser Three's favorite morph. Eight of everything... I just hoped it would give me the upper hand...

"Thanks brother" Leo's response as I had to duck low now, hearing noises from outside.

"We've set the first ones too... but we don't need a path cleared" Mikey now, almost sounding shocked. I heard Kristiana almost yelling in my earpiece. She must have been using her new powers to throw people out of their path...

I'd seen her do it... just practicing... to Mikey and Leo once... it made me glad she was on our side. If she hadn't caught them before they fell...

I shook my head, hearing the banging finally start. I readied my new body, hoping the door would hold long enough for Donnie to finish.

"We're good too" Raph now, and I heard more screams were what I hoped from the enemy as I finally heard Serah scream wordlessly.

(Serah! Are you-)

(I'm good... in fact I'm better than goo-yyaah!) She yelled again, almost sounding like Rachel for a moment, before she finished (I feel incredible!)

"She's amazing" Leo almost swooned, but then seemed to snap out of it.

"All right, I got it! But..."

"Uh, guuuuys?" Kristiana suddenly sounded worried.

"What's wrong?" Leo ask, then a grunt as I guessed he hacked away at his enemies.

"Guys? The scanners are picking up... well..." Donnie's high pitched voice from behind me made me worry. He only got that high pitched when-

"It's Shredder! He's wandering around below us, but I can sense... he's coming up!" Kristiana finally said, and I heard Mikey let out a strangled cry.

"Oh great! Change of plans... everyone get out, now!" Leo said "We can't take on Yeerks and the Shredder!"

"On it!"

"We should have planted just enough so that-" I didn't hear the rest of what Leo said, because at that point the door exploded inwards, making Donnie cry out a little. I arched one of my heads back, throwing a fireball even as the smoke started to clear, hearing a horrible scream from one of them.

(Donnie! Are we done-ah!) I yelped as one of my heads was shot off by a Dracon beam, feeling him half hide behind me as I threw another fireball. More screams, then "Definitely!"

(All right, lets get back to that entrance!) I grabbed a Hork-Bajir in one of my huge hands, throwing it at the other controllers as I started to slowly move towards the door, finding I was too big to get out.

(Uh, Donnie...)

"On it!" He threw one of the zappers between my many legs, seeing it hit the floor and the controllers scream in agony. Sadly part of it also hit me, and I grunted a little, glad I was such a big creature at the time.

(I think you fried my legs) I muttered, seeing the controllers fall and started to shrink.

"Sorry" Was his response as I was finally myself, taking off after him through the bodies.

"Yah!" Donnie yelped as a shot barely went over his head, grabbing my hand and the both of us running back through the corridors.

"Which way?!" I yelped, seeing Donnie quickly pull up his blue screen, both of us jerking as more shots went over our heads.

"There" He pointed, and we both took off down the right corridor, finally seeing the big gash in the side of the ship we'd come through.

"Almost-whoa!" Donnie and I both skidded to a stop, seeing a figure step around the corner on the other side of the hallway. We were only a few steps from the opening...

"Oh no, it's him" Donnie almost squeaked, seeing Shredder start to walk towards us, filled with purpose.

"Donnie, move!" I shoved him roughly, and he slowly started to head towards the entrance, with me shoving him again.

"How do we-"

"Grab the grappling gun!" I snapped, pushing him a little as he leaned out the opening, reaching upwards. Shredder was getting closer... and still, he hadn't said anything...

"Donnie..."

"Got it!" He grabbed me in one arm, half throwing us out the opening, extending the rope of the grappling gun and seeing us slip down towards-

"Foolish turtle!" Came the growl from above us, and we both looked up to see him half hanging out the opening, both of us knowing exactly what he was going to do next-

"What the heck is going on?!" I heard Leo say, watching as Shredder cut the rope we were both hanging off, and we fell downwards, both of us screaming madly.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	25. Shredder Showdown!

**Chapter 25  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

"Gotcha!" I heard someone grunt, and Donnie made a strange sound as something stopped his fall...

"Yaaah!" I slipped from his grasp, continuing to fall, before I felt a hand wrap around my ankle.

"Jade!" Donnie cried out, finding we were both now hanging off the side of the Eiffel tower of all things.

"Hang on guys" I managed to twist my body enough to look up, seeing it was Raph that had caught us, feeling us start to move onto the large platform him and Rachel were on.

I hit the hard metal surface on my hands and knees, looking up at the two as Donnie half sat beside me.

"Thanks guys"

"What the _hell_ happened?!" Serah snapped now.

"Shredder found us! I don't know where he is now, but-"

"He cut the rope we were hanging off, but Raph grabbed us before we fell too far" I finished, sharing relieved look with Donnie.

"All right, we'll be out soon" Leo now "Hang tight, and.. be careful"

"I can't make any promises Leo" Raph half smiled, helping his brother up as Rachel helped me up.

"Let's get outta here" I muttered, shaking my head "I've had about enough excitement for today"

"For once, I agree" Rachel nodded, looking serious. We turned to head towards the elevators, all of us fast walking, knowing getting safely-

 _THUMP! CRUNCH!_

Noises from behind us had the four of us turning around.

"Oh... fuck" Raph grunted, seeing the Shredder, in all his robotic looking glory, start to stand and look at us.

"W-w-what do we do now?" Donnie's voice shook as he said it, all of us just waiting for the Shredder to move.

"Leo! Shredder is down with the others! We have to help them!" Kristiana's voice cut through us, seeing the boys take out their weapons, and Rachel started to morph.

"Hang on guys, we're coming!" Leo called, but I don't think we really registered his voice as I pulled out my dagger, not knowing what else to do at this point. I couldn't think of anything to shift into at this moment that would help against his armor.

We all jerked as Raph let out a battle cry, running straight at Shredder with Rachel following in her grizzly morph.

I watched in horror, unable to move from my spot, as Raph threw a sai out, seeing Shredder dodge it, grabbing his arm as he went past, almost throwing him over his shoulder and down off the edge.

(NO! Raph!) Rachel then hit him full force, and I saw him start to slide back a little, before it was a battle of strength. Rachel pushed... Shredder pushed back...

"AAAAH!" Donnie started to run forward before I could stop him, seeing the Shredder stab Rachel right at the base of her neck, throwing her now limp body aside and moving to defend against Donnie's Bo.

To my utter horror, he grabbed Donnie's bow, doing the same motion as he did with Raph, literally using his Bo to throw him over the edge of the building.

I stood there in shock.

 _No... no... not again.._

At that point the Shredder turned his gaze on me, and I felt my knees go a little weak, trying to ready myself for an attack. I saw Rachel was... thankfully... starting to demorph. I just hoped the boys managed to save themselves...

"Little _girl_... so _weak_..." He moved towards me, and I found myself starting to move backwards, not knowing what I could do against this metal maniac, almost kicking myself for not shifting. Then again... he'd beaten Rachel in a matter of seconds.

"Oh no you don't" The Shredder suddenly spun around, catching Mikey's arm as he ran at him, using Mikey's momentum to throw him towards me, barely missing me as he hit the wall behind where I was.

"Mikey!" I moved to go help him up, turning to see Leo there, defending himself against the Shredders bladed fingers, seeing him move to grab Leo's ankle, flipping him over. Leo managed to save himself, backflipping and getting back on his feet, going at the Shredder again.

"I'm good babe" I heard Mikey say, shaking his head a little before diving back into the madness, trying to help his oldest brother.

"Jade" Serah was by my side, helping a very weak looking Kristiana.

To my relief, Raph and Donnie soon joined their brothers in trying to fight the Shredder, but it wasn't doing any of them any good. Each brother kept getting knocked back, and no matter how relentless their attacks were, the Shredder seemed to be able to best them at every turn.

Mikey got hit in the face, seeing him skid towards the railing. Thankfully, he managed to catch the edge of it, holding his jaw with his other hand and trying to get up.

Leo got knocked back by a kick in the gut, and when he went to move to attack again, the Shredder blocked him, using his momentum to throw him towards the wall. He hit hard, looking like he was unconscious.

"Leo!" Serah half handed Kristiana to me and Rachel who was now beside us, moving around the fight to try and get to him.

"Ser!" I tried to stop her, knowing Kristiana needed help now, watching as she finally got to him, her hand on his head and chest. He looked like he was out cold.

"Ah!" Raphael hit the wall beside them, groaning a little and trying to get up, but looking like he was really struggling to move. He looked hurt.

"Raph!" Rachel cried out, then we all ducked as Donnie now hit the wall next to where we were, hitting the floor face first.

"Donnie!" I moved to roll him over, seeing his eyes were closed. He was out too...

I felt a strange anger welling in me, looking from our fallen turtles over to the Shredder, who was now standing in the middle of all this chaos.

"Girls! We gotta do something!" I growled, getting up and grabbing my dagger again, readying it against my wrist.

"But... we..."

"Use our strengths"

Shredder laughed, a horrible laugh that made me just want to slap him stupid "And what are four little _girls_ going to do that these... _freaks_... couldn't do?"

"Serah, Rachel..."

They both nodded, and I could see them starting to change, looking at Kristiana, who caught on.

"All right... one last try..." She moved her hand up, her eyes now locked on the Shredder, looking like she was straining a little.

"Foolish little children! You-" He suddenly stopped, trying to move himself and finding he was frozen in place.

"Whatever you're going to do, you better do it quick!" I could see blood starting to pool out of Kristiana's nose again, but her focus was entirely on keeping the Shredder still.

"Girls, get that armor!"

I saw Rachel make her move, throwing a huge paw at the Shredder and knocking him down, then a leopard jumped onto his back, tearing at the small box there and ripping it off in one quick movement, seeing sparks flying.

They both leaped away, watching as Kristiana finally lost control, and he moved to get up, the electricity shooting all through his suit.

"AAAAH!" He yelled, slowly grabbing at the arms of his armor and ripping them off, then the half throwing the chest piece onto the floor. He threw his helmet off... and we finally saw the real face of our enemy.

"Foolish little girls!" He snapped, kicking the last of his armor off "I will defeat you as I am!"

"Uh, Jade?"

"I got this" I got into a stance, seeing him notice and move to take his own stance in front of me.

(I don't think that's-)

"I... got...this" I narrowed my eyes, taking in everything about my opponent. Without the armor, he just looked like any other person. He was Asian... and looked a little like a monk with his bald head and scar that ran across his face. A scar that I could only guess he got when the turtles defeated him the last time.

He moved first, going to do a round house kick, but I dodged, slamming my fist into his kneecap and hearing it crack a little. He collapsed to the ground, grunting in anger and pain.

"You'll pay for that you stupid-" Instantly he was up again, taking me by surprise and finding his fist connecting with my gut, winding me and throwing me backwards onto the ground. I felt the dagger skid across the floor as I looked up, suddenly finding a foot on my chest.

I grabbed it, twisting the leg and making him fall, managing to back flip and get myself back on my feet, getting into a stance as he flipped himself onto his feet, glaring at me now.

"You _have_... learned much from the _rat_..."

"Glad you remember who I am" I cracked my neck a little, sucking in a deep breath and trying to keep my guard up.

He came at me again, and I barely dodged, realising he'd now picked up one of the knives from his suit and was thrusting it in my direction. I grabbed his arm, wrapping mine around his as he thrust it at me, kicking him in the gut and feeling him drop it, using my other foot to slide it back and away from us.

In seconds I was on the ground, kneeling, with my head in his hands, and I knew what he wanted to do. I didn't know how he'd done it, but he'd been able to use my grip on him to his own advantage, twisting my arm behind me and knocking me down.

"Your time is _over_ -"

I felt the dagger slide back into reach of my other hand, grabbing it and stabbing him as hard as I could in the leg, hearing him scream and let go of me.

As I got up I yanked it out of his leg, seeing him go to stop me but, I screamed wordlessly, ramming the dagger right into his neck, seeing blood start to spurt from the wound. I'd gotten a major artery...

I jumped back as he pulled the dagger out, dropping to his knees on the floor and desperately trying to stop the blood from pouring. I saw the fear in his eyes... his human eyes...

I watched him carefully, even as he finally collapsed forwards onto the ground, convulsing, before finally going limp. Blood was starting to pool on the floor around him...

"I am _so_ asking Splinter to teach me some moves" Rachel's voice broke the silence that had fallen on the rest of us.

"You... you _killed_ Shredder..." I looked up to see Raph had managed to get to his feet, looking purely shocked as he now stared at the unmoving form.

"Well... all us girls did it" I finally admitted, looking at Kristiana, who smiled at me even as she held her nose. She'd been the one to slide the dagger into my grasp... if it hadn't been for her, Shredder probably would have snapped my neck.

"You girls are _awesome_ " Mikey muttered as he knelt next to Kristiana, holding his cheek still. He'd been hit pretty hard...

"Well done" We turned to see Leo had regained consciousness, and now Serah was by his side, helping him up a little.

"Those moves... I think-" I turned to Donnie as I saw him start to get himself into a sitting position, going to help him.

"Ellorian to ground team! Do you need assistance?!" Our headpieces crackled to life, and Leo looked at all of us. Slowly, his hand went to his ear, tapping before responding.

"Leo to Ellorian. We are off the ship and the charges are set. Please, proceed with the plan"

"Confirmed!"

"Uh, Leo, are you-"

We all ducked, moving towards the center of the tower as explosions rocked the ship above us, seeing it start to fall towards the ground next to us.

"Hang on!" Leo cried, and we all grunted in disapproval as we all huddled together, barely managing to avoid the horrible heat of the pool ship as it blew up, almost taking us with it.

The Eiffel tower rocked violently, before the heat started to die down, and we were all able to move again.

"I think my eyebrows are singed...Leo!" Serah slapped him a little and he grunted, all of us getting up to see the now burning remains of the ship next to the tower.

"Ow! What!"

"Don't tell them to _blow it up_ while we're still _near_ it!"

"Uh... too late" Kristiana shook her head, and I saw her and Mikey helping each other up, Mikey surprising me by holding her close, kissing her hair.

"Proud of you" He muttered, and she smiled a little. I watched them go to kiss one another, before a hand on my shoulder made me look up.

"Jade, you were..." Donnie was interrupted when Leo finally said "All right, let's blow this joint"

Mikey giggled, and Raph half slapped him on the back of the head, the girls managing to separate the two as we started to head towards the elevator.

"I hope it still works" I muttered, finding there was a hand on my shoulder again, and I looked up into Donnie's serious eyes.

"Donnie"

"Uh... Leo, we'll be down in a minute"

"All right, but don't go doing something stupid" Leo replied as he shut the gate thing to the elevator, and they started to descend.

"Donnie?" I looked up at him quizzically, and he led me over to the ledge, where we could see the still burning ship, as well as the rest of the destroyed city.

"If you're trying to be-"

"Jade" He stopped me, turning me to him and looking deep in my eyes. I actually felt butterflies in my stomach, wondering what he was thinking.

"Donnie" Was all I could reply, and he pulled me to him, holding me in his arms gently.

"What you just did... that was... that was... amazing..."

"I...uh... all us girls did it?" Was the only thing I could think to say.

"Jade... I don't know how to say this. I mean... I've never even thought this, but... the way you moved... what you did for me and my brothers just then... I just... I have no words"

"Then... should we go?" I suggested, going to move towards the elevator, but he stopped me.

"Jade... please. Let me try and get this out. I've been... well it's been on my mind for a little while"

I just stared at him, feeling panic and worry set in, feeling him pick me up a little and set me on what looked like a seat near the edge, moving to kneel in front of me with a little difficultly.

"Donnie... what-"

"Jade, I know we're young... and its probably too soon to ask this, but... would you ever consider... well... marrying me one day?"

My jaw dropped, and I simply stared. After I didn't move for a little, I noticed he got a little uncomfortable.

"Jade?"

"How would we... would that work? I mean-"

He chuckled, kissing my hand a little "Jade, we've made it work so far..."

I was still at a loss for words. It was the strangest time to be asking a question... we were still in the middle of a war...

"I just.. I don't want to loose you"

"Um... when we're older... and when this war is over... Donnie... I would love to"

He smiled again, and I almost fell into his waiting arms. Kissing him deeply.

He'd just... awkwardly... proposed. On the top of what was once the most romantic place to propose.

Our kiss started to get more passionate, until a voice in our ears said "Are you two done yet?"

"I think he did something stupid" Raph's added, and we finally broke apart, both of us looking awkwardly at each other and realising our earpieces were still turned on.

What an awkward way to end a mission!

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-**

 **This was actually one really big chapter, but I decided to turn it into two smaller chapters.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed! Ciao!**

 **Oh, and as always...**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	26. Something Crazy In The Air

**Chapter 26  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I gasped as I felt my fingers touch something small and glass on the table behind me, hearing it crashing to the floor.

I tried to let Donnie know, but his lips were on mine again, his hands at my waist as he now picked me up and settled me on the table, hearing more things crashing to the floor.

"Clean it... later" Donnie's husky voice was now in my ear as he moved to plant kisses down my neck, making me shudder a little. His hands were back at my waist, then slid up under my nightshirt and making me mewl a little. All I could do was hold onto the sides of his shell, my head in his shoulder, as his hands slid gently up and down my skin.

It was the middle of the night, and Donnie had managed to convince me to head into his lab, as he said we couldn't be heard as much here. I tended to think differently, but...

Now, he had me in here, door locked and was making my skin come alive with his touch. How I'd let him talk me into this was a mystery all on its own...

Then again, we hadn't been... intimate... since before he got hurt. And I think because of that, this was getting very heated, very fast.

I reached up, trapping his lips with mine, bringing him down towards me, half laying on me as his other hand grabbed my exposed thigh, his fingers sending shivers up the back of my leg as he moved to bring it around his shell, holding onto the underside of my knee as the other arm pulled me towards him. I arched my back, feeling my exposed stomach touch his, hearing him make a strange noise in the back of his throat, his hand moving back down my thigh-

 _THUMP!_

We both jerked, holding onto each other and looking towards the door, where the sound had come from. Then the door handle started to turn a little.

"Dammit, it's locked" Came the half whispered voice from just outside. I recognized the voice instantly as Serahs.

"Well... now what?" Leo's voice now, and Donnie and I both turned to each other, not sure what to do. Donnie looked a little annoyed at another interruption.

"Pick the lock?" Serah suggested, and I heard Donnie let out a low growl.

"Wait... I heard something"

Donnie and I fell silent, neither of us moving. Then a strange gasp, and we both heard the handle shaking a little.

"Serah!" Leo hissed, and I looked back at Donnie, who closed his eyes, sighing a little.

"Why are you two trying to break into my lab in the middle of the night?!" Donnie finally called out, and all the noises outside the door stopped.

"Uh..."

"We uh..."

"Hey, sorry Donnie, we just-"

"If you want some private time I suggest from now on go _elsewhere_ " Donnie snapped a little "This is _my_ lab after all!"

They both fell silent, then we heard muttered apologies before it sounded like they disappeared somewhere else.

"I think I'm going to change that lock into a keypad tomorrow" Donnie muttered, and I smiled up at him, leaning up and kissing the nape of his neck.

"Good idea" I murmured, my hands starting to trail over his now tense shoulders, feeling him relax about a hair.

"I caught Raph and Rachel in here the other day too" He muttered, seeming like he didn't know whether to stop or keep going.

"Hmm... sounds like your lab is a good place to... have private time" My hands trailed over the sensitive skin on his sides, making him jerk back a little. He tried to get away from me, but I made a point of wrapping my legs around his shell, keeping him close as he squirmed a little. I heard a cute little snort, unable to suppress my own little giggle.

"You aint goin no where my special ninja" I smiled up at him, finally ending the tickle torture and watching him take a deep breath in. He moved my legs from around him gently, leaving me on the table as he moved towards the door, looking at it.

"Donnie?" I felt a little rejected as I sat there, pulling down at the hem of my nightshirt and watching him go to another table, surprised when he dragged it in front of the door with a little effort.

"Everyone is going crazy lately" He finally said, standing up and moving back towards me.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Just... Raph and Rachel... Leo and Serah... even Amanda and Ithiell seem to be uh-"

My jaw dropped, half slapping his shoulder as his arms now rested back on my waist.

"And hoooow do you know this, my curious little turtle?" I asked, looking up at him and seeing him smile sheepishly at me.

"I uh... accidentally... walked in on them?"

"Where? Here?"

"No" He moved to scratch the back of his head "I uh... went looking for him in the hanger... walked into the fighter..."

Again, my jaw dropped.

"Oh my gawd... what happened?"

He shook his head, closing his eyes a little "What do you think I did? I left and they... I guess they continued..."

I couldn't help but laugh, covering my mouth with my hands a little as I looked up at him, earning me a strange look.

"Well... aren't we all just a whole _heap_ of horny teenagers... _what_ could go wrong?!"

"Uhmm..."

"Rhetorical question bub" I giggled again, earning a smirk from him now.

"Must be something in the air?"

"Must be... now..." I moved to grab his face in my hands, pulling him down a little and planting a gentle kiss on his still smirking lips. I felt his arms slip around me again, holding me close.

"Where were we?"

"Jade, maybe-"

"Oh I know... I think you were doing this" I moved his arms into the positions they were before, looking up at him and seeing indecisiveness in his eyes.

"Should we take it back into the bed-"

"Hell no... you're right, this is _your_ lab. And..." I kissed him again "I think it's been long enough, don't you think?"

His hot breath was now on my cheek as his forehead rested on mine, finally nodding a little.

"Yeah... I think... you're right" I felt him pull me close again, hands slipping under the fabric once more.

 _-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_ _-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-_

After all was said and done, I realised Donnie was right. Sure, Splinter as well as Rtaia, were here and there from time to time, but... well...

The other turtles and the girls, I now realised, were all very... active, in a sense. I half wondered if we should be worried.

Especially about Serah and Leo. It felt like we couldn't turn around without almost running into them, if it was late enough at night. Even Kristiana and Mikey were hard to avoid sometimes...

And now, finding out about Ithiell and Amanda getting into it... well...it kind of made me worry.

Robert and Mihra had decided to join Marco and Tobias at the valley for now, helping there where they could. There were still a few things to do there, while the rest of us focused on strategic attacks against the remaining Pool Ships. We had to make sure we had a fallback plan for each time, just in case the Yeerks invented something new to mess us over with.

For the most part, our strategies had paid off. We'd managed to take back a fair portion of the world, and now the humans who had survived all this were starting to band together and fight back with us, which was making things a little easier. We now had half the world at our backs, and some even knew and spoke about who we were... from what we saw in news reports.

I guess it helped, knowing some of the pressure was taken off us, and I wondered if that was part of the reason the others were behaving like this.

Sure, Donnie and I got into it too sometimes, but... well...

At least we weren't being intimate in not so intimate places. Well... besides the lab.

Speaking of... I was watching from one of the couches as he did what he said he would do, installing a small keypad and taking away the doorknob, watching as he messed with the wires and such. I enjoyed watching him work. The focus on his face, the way he sometimes stuck out his tongue, or made weird motions with his mouth... the way he hummed...

"Whaaaat's he doing?" Serah asked as she came and sat beside me. I gave her a sidelong glance.

"Making sure no one else can get into his lab from now on... especially no... active... people... in the middle of the night, looking for a private place"

Her eyes widened a little and she looked at me, before blushing a little.

"Oh so you... uh..."

"You guys need to settle down a little, I think. You really have been going at it alot lately... and its starting to bug me"

"Well... sorry" She looked away a little.

"You know we're surrounded by miles and miles of forest. Why cant you go be... intimate... out there"

"The lab is usually- I mean-" She looked at me, almost ashamed, her face bright red.

"Well why can't you?" Rachel was there as well, and I looked at both of them, rolling my eyes.

"I think the words 'Donnie's lab' speaks for itself. It's his... and he deserves to do whatever he wants in it"

"Like you?"

I froze at Amanda's words, biting my lip and feeling my cheeks start to burn. I avoided looking at the girls, instead keeping my focus on Donnie, who I was grateful hadn't heard... or didn't seem to hear... the conversation.

"That's... kiiiinda not what I meant" I got out slowly.

"Suuure its not" Serah grabbed my shoulders, shaking me a little and making me look at her. I looked around-

"Hey, where's Kristiana?"

"Sick" Rachel sat beside me on the floor beside the couch, and Amanda sat on the other side of Serah on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah... been in the bathroom for the past half hour" Serah muttered, leaning back a little.

"Is... she okay? Should we go check on her?"

"Yeah, we both think we ate some bad pizza that Mikey left in the fridge for too long" Serah grumbled "I haven't been throwing up, but the nausea is getting to me a little. Been trying to ignore it, but-"

"It wasn't _that_ old" Mikey made all of us jump, and we looked at him. He looked a little upset as he plonked on the floor in front of us, his sad face almost making me want to give him a big cuddle "It was only three days old, and the ingredients were fresh"

"You girls going to be all right for tomorrow?" I asked Serah as Amanda did what I was thinking of doing, seeing him smile a little at the comfort.

"Could probably just ask Rtaia for something to settle it down" Rachel suggested, and another noise made all of us turn to see Kristiana walk into the room, looking a little pale. Instantly Mikey was up and away from Amanda, going to take care of her.

We shuffled around, so us girls were now sitting or standing around the couch, and Kristiana and Mikey were sitting beside each other, Mikey holding Kristiana as close as he dared.

"I actually feel a bit better after all that" She said, her head on Mikey's chest.

"Oh god" I saw Serah cover her mouth, running off to the bathroom and hearing the door slam.

"I was afraid of that" Leo was suddenly in the room, beside Raph and Splinter, all of them looking to where Serah had run off to.

"Afraid of what?" I raised an eyebrow, and he sighed.

"I was hoping she wouldn't... be sick..."

"Don't worry, she might feel better" Kristiana was hopeful "I mean, I do"

"Babe?" Mikey now looked hopeful.

"Perhaps Rtaia could help with your illness" Splinter suggested, and we all half nodded to him.

"Take her to Rtaia, Michelangelo" He instructed, and Mikey nodded, helping Kristiana off the couch and keeping an arm around her waist as he walked her towards the medical bay.

"Gee, whatever Mikey put in that pizza really affected them, didn't it?" Raph scratched his head a little, looking at the rest of us.

"Well... did anyone else have it?" Rachel asked, looking at all of us. A snort from the lab door caught all our attention.

"Only Mikey had that pizza, he was scarfing it down when I saw him in the kitchen last" Came Donnie's response, even as he worked away. I blushed a little, realising he must have heard-

"That turtle has an iron stomach" Leo shook his head, scrunching his face up a little as he said it.

"Do you remember what was on it Donnie?" Raph asked, seeing Donnie shake his head a little, finally stopping what he was doing to look at the rest of us.

"Possibly marshmallows, but I can't be sure"

"Marshmallows?!" Amanda echoed in disbelief, sighing and shaking her head a little.

"Why in the _world_ would the girls eat a pizza with marshmallows on it?" I just happened to look at Leo then, who shrugged.

"I don't know. As far as I was aware Serah didn't eat _any_ pizza that Mikey made"

A groan from the bathroom made us all look in that direction, and I saw Rachel start to move, grabbing Leo by the arm and dragging him over to the bathroom door.

I took that time to go over to Donnie, who had gone back to his task.

"How's it going my ninja nerd?" I asked as I sat beside him, hearing the others in the background muttering about Mikey's strange taste in pizzas lately, seeing him start to place the keypad onto the door, moving to grab something from his toolbox.

"Just need to fix the keypad on, then program it" He responded as he worked.

"So you uh-"

"I heard every word"

"Oh" I blushed a little, scooching a little closer to him and watching as his tongue slid out of his mouth a little, his eyes trained on the keypad as he worked.

"I told you they've all gone nuts" He muttered so no one else could hear, hearing something click and seeing him pull his hands away from the door. From what I could see, the keypad was now fixed to the door.

"And we haven't?" I asked, seeing him finally look at me, fixing his glasses.

"Well... I'd like to think we're a little more..." He trailed off as his focus now turned to the keypad, using his blue screen and tapping away on that, then moving to tap away on the keypad, moving from the screen to that.

I giggled at him, moving to kiss his cheek as he worked, then taking a quick look over at where the others were. No one was looking this way.

I slowly moved my arms around him, resting my hands on his sensitive sides, feeling him jerk a little and nipping at his neck a little when he did.

"Jade" He muttered, his breaths now coming out short as I nipped again, then moved away, taking in his posture.

He still had his arms up, and the blue screen was there, but his eyes looked a little clouded over, and I saw his body had tensed. His face held a disapproving look as he stared at me. I grinned, unable to help myself.

"Looks like we're no better"

He rolled his eyes, slowly starting to move again. As he did, his body relaxed into the motions that he was used to.

"Now you're just being-"

We both stopped as a loud groan came from the bathroom, turning to see Rachel standing at the now open door, hearing Leo saying something to what I guessed was Serah.

"I hope Rtaia can help them before tomorrow, otherwise we'll be short two" I frowned, knowing those two had now become very important in our fights. Kristiana was slowly building up her strength and the length of time she could use her powers, and Serah, we'd found, could be quick and calculating when she was in action. She knew who to attack first, and what were the best places to hit. Must have been her Chanaiben side coming out...

"I'm sure she will" Was Donnie's response and I half noticed out of the corner of my eye him getting back to what he was doing. My attention was now on the bathroom door, seeing Leo and Serah appear, Leo holding onto a very unsteady looking Serah as he led her to the medical bay as well.

"Poor girls" I frowned "I wonder what possessed them to eat some of that pizza?"

"Told you.. they're... we're... all going crazy"

"Glad you finally admit it" I grinned at him, suddenly feeling a rush of butterflies in my stomach as I thought back to the other night. The thought of marrying Donnie after all this was over...

I let out a strange little sigh without meaning to, seeing him half look at me, his eyes narrowing a little.

"Jade?"

"What?"

"Something is going through that head of yours..."

"Oh.. um... nothing" I blushed again "Just uh... thinking of how... crazy... we all are"

To my surprise, he let out a hearty chuckle, shaking his head a little as he finally moved his arms down, his blue screen flashing and disappearing again.

"And that's why I love you"

I saw him take a glance at the others, before moving to kiss just under my ear, giving me goosebumps, then "Meet you at midnight for some... experiments... in my lab?"

"Oh Donnie" Was all I could think to say as he moved back, putting his tools away. He stood up, grabbing his toolbox, then offering a hand for me to take and helping me up.

He was right about one thing at least. There was definitely something weird happening in the base, but not even we were immune to it's effects.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	27. Our Darkest Hour

**Chapter 27  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

"... and just remember to let your people know if they get hurt, pull back straight away. The more casualties we can avoid, and the less injured we have on the field, the better"

"Will do"General Cardwell, the man in front of me, saluted then moved off to go tell the Majors under him and their squads. Again, I felt awkward telling a man probably more than twice my age what to do, but I knew I had more experience at this than he did. We were now on the outskirts of one of the Australian cities, and we were surprised to know that the soldiers in this area had gone to great lengths to seek us out. From the intel they had given us, it seemed the Yeerks had gotten smart, and there we countless ground troops at the ready. So... we had now made a backup plan. And several squads of Australian troops had offered to help. So, we had included them in our new attack plan, and the five of us girls had offered to be on the ground with them, to help guide them through this. I just hoped we didn't loose too many of these well trained soldiers...

Then again, thinking about it, I was a 'well trained' soldier. Just... in a different sense than these guys and girls were.

It was hard to believe I'd been doing this for now almost nine years. Fighting in wars... somehow managing to survive...

I took a quick glance over at Amanda and Rachel, who were having what looked like a deep conversation. They hadn't turned their ear pieces on just yet, so I had no idea what they were saying, but it looked serious.

My eyes went from the more experienced two, to the least. Serah and Kristiana were both leaning against a wall, both occasionally talking about something or other. I saw Kristiana shrug, finally looking up at Serah. Rtaia had been able to give them something to settle their poor stomachs, and now they were in probably better shape than the rest of us were. I saw Serah give Kristiana a weird look, scrunching up her face before shaking her head. I half wondered what they were talking about...

"How are you guys doing down there?" Ithiell's voice jerked me out of my thoughts, and I tapped my earpiece.

"Yeah, the soldiers are on board"

"All right, Donnie and I are in position and waiting. Leo, Tobias, where are you guys?"

"We're here" Came Leo's reply.

"Marco and Mikey?"

"Same here"

"Raph-"

"We're here" Came Robert's slightly snippy voice. I think he was just eager to get moving. I was sure being back in Australia was also causing him a little internal grief as well...

"All righty then, now we know he boys and I are all in place. Rtaia is up in the fighter waiting for our signal. You might want to get the girls to switch their ear pieces on now"

"All right, hang on" I put two fingers to my lips, letting out a low whistle and seeing all four girls turn to me. As soon as they did, I indicated to my ear, seeing them all catch on and move to switch them on.

"All right, they're patched in" I told him, looking at the girls as they all gave me a thumbs up.

"All right, Jade?"

"Yup"

"You know what to do"

"All right" I looked at the girls, who all nodded at me "We'll get the soldiers and move into place"

"Copy, just give the signal when you're ready"

Slowly, I went to each squadron of soldiers, talking to the General as well as the Majors in charge, watching as they all moved off. I saw Rachel nod, taking to the sky to make sure we knew when they got into place.

"You girls ready?" I asked the remaining three, and they nodded. I turned, heading down the small alleyway near us, hearing the others follow.

"How's Sequae?"

Silence from behind me as I took a peek out, seeing the first line of Yeerk Controllers, weapons at the ready. Most of them looked to be aiming their weapons at the sky. I guessed they'd caught onto the fact that we were getting in from the rooftops, and were trying to be ready when we did our little trick again.

"Yeah, he's ready too" Came Kristiana's response from my left, and I looked back at them, nodding.

Serah and Amanda started to shift, and Kristiana nodded at me that she was ready, getting into a stance to run. I took out my dagger, knowing this would rely on my 'ninja' skills now.

I left the girls, darting in and out of the shadows and getting as close as I could to the first wave of Yeerks, hiding myself neatly in the shadows behind a half destroyed car. I pressed my back against it, hearing "All right, Jade has made her move and is right next to them"

"All right, are the soldiers in place?"

(Yep, they're all ready and waiting) Rachel told him, hearing him sigh.

"Okay... give the signal to start"

I heard a huge crackle above me, looking up to see the Pool Ships force field drop, and it started to tip slightly, seeming to struggle to stay in the air. Instantly, all the Dracon beams and spotlights were raised to both see and shoot above them. I took that moment to throw my little zapper towards the group, feeling myself lifted slightly in the air by Kristiana as it hit. I heard screams as the zapper electrified the ground under them, half turning to see some of them falling, the others now moving their Dracon beams to aim in my direction.

"Ah!" I yelped, covering my head as the shooting started, feeling Kristiana drop me. She probably had to duck away from the wall to cover herself.

"Give the word!" Ithiell yelled, and I heard Rachel give the go ahead to the soldiers. Instantly, the night lit up with weapons firing into the night, hearing the Yeerks near me now turning to the new enemy. I took the time to shift, seeing Serah and Amanda fly past me, Kristiana hot on their heels as she started to throw people.

(Guys!) I yelled, diving over the cars and getting into the fight, ducking a little as a gunshot whizzed past my head.

(I think we need to stay on the same side as the soldiers, otherwise they're going to get us as well as the Yeerks!) Amanda suggested as she body slammed a Hork-Bajir, smacking another in the face.

"Good idea!" Kristiana yelled as she lifted two controllers in the air who had been coming at her, throwing them off to the side.

(Watch it!) I dove over, knocking her down as a Hork-Bajir came at her, his blades barely missing both of us as he lumbered past.

"Thanks Jade" Kristiana grabbed the Hork-Bajir with her powers, throwing him randomly up in the air. At that moment I saw the ropes above us, then I saw Donnie and Ithiell sliding up towards where Rtaia had made holes in the ship.

(Stay safe guys) I muttered, jumping back into the madness and pushing myself with all I had.

"Enemies down!" Came one of the soldiers, and I looked around and realised he was right.

(First wave down) Rachel confirmed (But you got another wave coming towards you)

(Sequae, would you like to do the honors?) I asked him, feeling him touch my mind again in what I could only guess was agreement.

The ground shook under us, and the soldiers seemed to be having trouble staying upright as Sequae now passed under us, then...

(Whoa! He's on em!)

"We're in and setting charges! Hang on guys!" I heard Leo call out.

(Last time I checked, we all had boobs!) Serah grumbled at him, but he either didn't hear it or decided to ignore it, hearing sounds of battle in our earpieces from each of the groups now in the ship. I heard Amanda snort a little, then-

(All right, wave two down... but there's a third wave coming your way... and it's big)

(Care to join us Rach?) I asked her, suddenly noticing the soldiers were lining up behind the four of us.

(With pleasure!) I saw a bald eagle land beside me, starting to grow. The soldiers were looking at her in awe as a bird became a teenage girl in spandex.

"We're behind you... sir- I mean, ma'ams?" Came the Major's voice as she saluted us a little.

(Are your other squads and General in place?) I turned around to her, and she nodded.

(Can you keep in contact with them?) Amanda now, and she pointed to another person, who looked to have a walky talky in his hands.

(All right... get them to be ready. We're going to need them in case this goes sideways)

(Is anyone hurt down there?) Marco now, then I heard him grunt a little.

"Does anyone need medical attention?" Kristiana called to them "Because if you do, you need to get out of here fast. We don't want you dying"

Two soldiers had, and I noticed as another helped them move away from the battle ground in a sense.

(Kristiana, you might want to get behind that wall... we don't want you being shot) I told her, motioning at a half standing wall near us. She sighed, but nodded, knowing I was right and moving to kneel behind it.

(Everyone else, get into positions like Kristiana) Rachel instructed (The more you can cover yourselves now, the better. Just... don't shoot us)

(Agreed) I heard footsteps, turning back and getting into a fighting stance, baring my teeth as Rachel and Amanda stood on either side of me. Serah stood on the other side of Amanda, half mirroring my position.

The soldiers shuffled behind us, just as the Yeerks came into view, and the five of us struck first, tearing into them as a firefight started.

"Jade!" I spun just as I saw a Hork-Bajir arm raised, and it looked like it was having trouble bringing it down. I didn't hesitate, leaping up and sinking my teeth into his neck and knocking him down.

(Thanks Kristiana! Now we're even!) I yelled over the thunder of guns firing, dodging a blast and twisting my body to hit the person who fired at me.

I heard her say something, seeing more bodies flying and Hork-Bajir screeching, but before I could ask her what she said two Hork-Bajir were coming at me, and my mind went back to the fight at hand.

 _DUCK! ATTACK! BITE! SLASH!_

I knew I was getting hurt, but with all the enemies around, I knew I couldn't stop... not now. I felt blood pouring from wounds, but I tried to ignore them as I brought down enemy after enemy, seeing the others do the same. I saw Serah near me, looking hurt and slowing her attacks a little, but I was glad to see she was fighting through it, still going. I ripped apart a Taxxon, jumping over the body and going to land beside her.

(You all right?)

(Yeah... just... annoyingly painful. Having a little... trouble... ignoring it)

(It's all right, you'll make it. And if all else fails, I got your back!)

(Thanks Jade)

Soon Sequae was there as well, his tentacles exploding up through the ground and joining Kristiana in throwing people, the rest of him just under the ground.

(Oh shit!) I heard a snap, seeing Rachel collapse to the ground, her front left paw and the rest of her back end now missing, blood pooling everywhere.

(You gotta demorph!) Amanda told her, now half hovering over Rachel as she attacked anyone that came close.

(How?! It's kinda not the-)

(Kristiana!) I yelled, seeing Rachel start to slowly move backwards, surprised to see three soldiers jump out from behind one of the walls, starting to drag her backwards as Amanda covered them.

I heard a yelp, then saw one of them collapse to the ground screaming and seeing an arm missing. I went to call out to the other soldiers, seeing two more dive into the madness, firing and pulling their injured friend back behind a wall.

(Rachel!)

(I'll... just)

(Kristiana! I need you to keep them off her!)

I heard her yell something, but saw the Yeerks that were trying to come at her being tossed aside, moving to duck a bladed arm and throwing my body weight at the enemy that was coming at me.

(Guys! Are you done yet?!) I yelled (We're getting our asses kicked out here!)

"Almost, hang on!" Ithiell's response as a blade cut deep into my shoulder, severing the tendons connecting my front leg to the rest of me.

(Where are those other soldiers?!) Amanda cried out, then shrieked as she was slammed hard into a wall by at least four Hork-Bajir. I saw Rachel, now an elephant, going to help her.

"From what my scans are saying, they hit another group of Yeerks" Donnie's voice now, even as I groaned and then yelled from the pain.

(Are they okay?!)

"Sort of?" Ithiell sounded confused.

(Fuck!) I screamed in anger and frustration as I dove under another hit, trying to focus my mind enough to try and shift myself into something else...

"Jade... the readings I'm getting... it just... it can't be..."

(FUCK YOUR READINGS!) I screamed, sick of the calm voices as the battle raged around me (We need help, _now_!)

"I am here!" Suddenly the ground lit up, and the Yeerks started to scream, turning and realise Rtaia had just fired a neat line through the Yeerks, taking a few of them out at once.

(We need to get to the other soldiers!)

(Take Serah and Kristiana! Sequae, Rachel and I will handle the rest!)

"I will help also!" Rtaia's voice again as she shot over our heads, firing at the enemy and hearing more screams from them.

(If you insist! Girls!) I dove behind the wall where Kristiana was, seeing Serah join me, shifting into a black panther. I shifted myself into a Jinnaw, and Kristiana jumped onto my back, throwing controllers aside before holding onto my fur as I flew off in the direction that Ithiell was now directing me to.

"Easy!" Kristiana yelped as I dove around a corner, Serah trying her best to keep up with me.

(Sorry, but we gotta move!)

"Jade, you need to know-"

(Just keep directing me! We need to make sure-)

I skidded to a stop, realising we were to the side of a firefight between the Yeerks and the soldiers, seeing Yeerks, Taxxons and...

(Oh...what the...fff...) I screamed worldlessly, hearing Ithiell sigh.

"I tried to warn you"

"What the hell are _they_?" Kristiana muttered from my back. I was about to tell her, but Ithiell answered for me.

"Terinans... the Yeerks have managed to take Terinans"

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-**

 **Yes... I know... so evil!**

 **I was going to write more, but I figure I'd leave this here for now :D**

 **Please R &R!**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	28. We Will Rise Again

**Chapter 28  
**

 **.**

I felt like we'd gone into some sort of weird loop. Like we'd just come back around to where we'd begun.

Terinans... I knew, Ithiell was wrong. Like Chanaiben males, Terinans had earholes that were too small for the Yeerks to squeeze through.

Which only meant one thing. They had allied themselves with the Yeerks.

Sure, after our last battle, most of the Terinans had signed a peace treaty with the Chanaibens, but there were still some rogue groups out here.

And from what I could see in front of me... it seemed like quite a few of those groups just _happened_ to come to earth, and managed to find the Yeerks.

I half wondered how that conversation went...

(Jade?) I heard Serah ask as my heart thudded in my ears, unable to move for the moment. I still couldn't believe that what I saw in front of me was real...

I heard a soldier scream, and another just got burnt to a crisp, seeing the enemy was taking damage as well, but it didn't look like their numbers were decreasing at all. The soldiers however...

"Pull back! Pull back!" I heard the General scream, the sounds of their guns firing starting to become almost deafening...

"Jade!" I felt a smack to the back of my head, then "Wake up! We need to help them!"

(Oh, oh shit, come on!) I shot forward, feeling Kristiana slide off me as Serah followed, seeing some the Yeerks, and a few Terinans, go flying.

Instantly I was in the middle of them, biting and slashing and ripping them to bits, with Serah not far behind me. I saw her grab a human controllers leg, yanking them off their feet as they tried to shoot at her, and before they had even hit the ground she was on them.

"Get back behind cover! Anything you can find!" Kristiana yelled to the General, half hoping she was doing the same thing.

"But... our wounded!"

(They won't make it if you don't!) I yelled, even as I bit and ripped and slashed.

"Good point!" A new voice, and I spun to see Leo tear apart a Terinan that had aimed his weapon at me, smiling at me a little before flipping away.

(I was wondering when you guys would get here!) I managed to jump over a human controller, and onto Leo's shell, feeling him take my weight with only a difficulty. He put everything he had into catapulting me upwards, and I used my own momentum to land in the middle of the group of Terinans behind him.

Instantly I was into them, finding I had someone helping me.

(Ugly buggers, aren't they?) Tobias said as he kicked one, sending it flying into it's brothers.

(We'll head over and help Rach and Amanda) Marcos voice now, and I heard Mikey make a sound of agreement, realising they had been with us as well.

"Don't do anything stupid" Leo grunted as he twisted his body in ways I didn't realise was even possible, flipping his body almost sideways in the air as he kicked someone in the face.

A gunshot grazed my ear and I yelped, looking over to the soldiers, some who I noticed were now trying to pick their targets more carefully now we were all mixed up in the enemies. Others... well, others seemed to be too frightened to register we were the good guys.

(Easy, there! General!)

"There isn't any end to these things!" He called out over the gunfire and animal roars.

I half looked around as I went for another opponent, realising he was right. From what I could remember from seeing when we'd crashed into these guys, there certainly weren't this many hovering around...

(We gotta find out where they're coming from!) I yelled, moving to rip apart another Terinan, finding there a sai had been thrown right through his head, and before he dropped I saw Raph yank it out. Then he was gone, and I realised we had two more people with us.

(All right, we got em all!) Amanda's voice (But we're going to try and get these soldiers out of here... alot got hurt...)

"Get them out of there, we got this!" Something snapped near me, taking down another Hork-Bajir, and I finally heard the crack of a Bo somewhere nearby.

(On it!) Marco responded (Come on guys!)

"Oh-"

I don't know what it was that made me look over when I did, but I saw Kristiana collapse to her knees, holding her nose with one hand as the other arm caught her before she hit the ground face first.

(Kristiana!) I leaped over, sliding on what I could only guess was the enemies blood as I knocked away a Taxxon that was already coming for her.

"I...I..." I thought I heard her groan, then found Ithiell was there, helping her up and behind a wall where the General and some of his men were, with me following and keeping anyone from attacking them.

"What happened?" General Cardwell asked, even as he went to reload his gun.

"Even _we_ have limits, General" Ithiell told him as he leaned her against a wall, seeing she now looked pale.

(Ithiell, we need to find out where those assholes are coming from and cut them off! There are too many for us to pull back safely!)

"You're right about that" I saw him look over the wall, half ducking when a shot rang over his head, then looking out again and up.

"There" He pointed, and I saw something start to separate from the underbelly of the Pool Ship, starting to head towards the ground.

"It looks to be a platform they use to bring cargo and supplies to and from the ship" He said, pointing again and both of us now seeing what looked like another group of Terinans and Yeerks all huddled on the platform.

(So how do we stop it?)

"Donnie and Raph should still have some small explosives. We can't risk trying to pull back with that thing still open. And at this distance, if the Aerionna decides to set off those charges now, we'd all be crushed"

(You gotta try and stall them! I'll take care of that thing!)

"Not without backup! Donnie! Raph! Go!"

I dove around the wall, pumping my legs for all they were worth and managing to avoid a Terinans curved blade, skidding on Taxxon insides before getting some traction back and shooting off again. I half noticed as the boys pulled away from the fight, following me as quickly as they did. I saw the platform had almost hit the ground-

(HHHEEEYYAAAAAH!) I screamed, leaping into the pile of enemies and bringing down as many as I could. Soon the boys were there, and we all started to kick the remaining enemies off the platform, which was now starting to move upwards again.

"Let's break this thing" Raph grunted, cracking his knuckles as we were finally alone on the platform.

(That's the plan... be ready guys, could be more up there)

"That's what _these_ babies are for" Donnie pulled several zappers out, readying them.

We all braced ourselves, seeing a crowd of enemies above us, looking down towards us. I saw a Terinan lick its lips...

(Donnie...) I felt like we were now getting too close to the entrance.

"Not yet"

"Bro!" Raph grunted, getting himself into a fighting stance.

"Hang on!"

My heart was once again pounding in my ears, seeing Dracon beams start to-

"Now!" Donnie finally tossed the zappers up at them, seeing some of them jerk back, hearing others scream in agony as the zappers hit the floor. A few more took their place, but Donnie threw the others, and all you could hear was the enemy being electrocuted.

The platform finally connected to the rest of the ship, coming to a shuddering halt as we looked around to the smoking bodies around us.

"Lookout!" Raph shoved his bodyweight into Donnie, knocking them both to the ground as Dracon beam fire barely missed their heads.

(Guys, are you okay?!) I dove forward, taking down the remaining Hork-Bajir, then running towards the door. I managed to slam my paw into the door panel, seeing it slide shut, and turning back to the two as they were getting back up.

"Yeah, thanks Raph" Donnie muttered, all of us looking around at the bodies on the floor, as well as what looked like crates around us.

"Ah, here we go" Donnie was suddenly at a small console near where the platform was, Raph and I following him.

"I'll-"

"Wait, wait" Raph grabbed his arm, and the two brothers looked at each other "If we break this, how do we get outta here?"

"Use the holes Rtaia made!" Ithiell's voice was heard over the battle as I looked up at the boys.

"If we make it there" Raph grunted, now pacing.

"Don't worry, with the amount of enemies down here... there shouldn't be too many left up there"

(It's a pool ship Ithiell... there could be thousands more enemies)

"There's one not far from us" Donnie now had his little blue screen up "Just a couple of floors up"

"Either way, get your butts in gear and get back out here" Leo yelled, hearing what sounded like him punching someone.

(You heard the man!) Marco now (Get it done and get outta there!)

"On it!" Donnie was back to working on the console, and Raph and I started to move around, more for something to do than anything else.

(Why don't they just smash it! Or better yet... put some small exp-)

"Robert, we need to make sure that thing is sealed up tight. If we break that seal with explosives or anything else, the Yeerks and Terinans will just keep coming"

As he said this, we heard a horrible thump from the door, and then the banging started.

"Here they come... _now_ how do we get outta here" I caught sight of Raph as he and I moved through the sets of crates on opposite sides. He was squeezing his Sais tightly, a grimace on his face and his body tense.

"Done!" Donnie's voice now, and I lost sight of Raph as I moved down another walkway between the crates, looking around-

 _Flash!_

(Oh shit!) I was instantly running back towards Donnie, knowing what I'd seen was heading straight for him.

"Jade?" Raph queried from somewhere behind me, but I was diving up and over a crate, stopping for only a split second and seeing my worst nightmare.

(DONNIE! BEHIND YOU!) I yelled, diving back off and pumping my legs for all they were worth.

"Wha-ah!" I heard a hit, then Donnie crying out a little.

I sped into view, seeing Donnie block another blow from the Terinans tail, backing off and away from the console he'd been working at. What he didn't see-

(Oh no you dont!) I dove over, catching the Terinan before it ripped into Donnie's side, instead leaving deep gashes down my flank.

"Jade!"

Raph was suddenly there, his Sai's raised about to-

(Guys, back off! You'll get hurt!)

"But it's just-"

(Argh!) I managed to block another attack that was meant for Raph, feeling the horrible sting as more gashes were left down my side. Blood was starting to seep from the deep wounds, seeing the Terinan get on all fours now, snarling at me as I stood between her and the boys.

"Jade-"

(Stay back! She's dangerous!)

"Wait...she?"

(Yeah... that's a female Terinan)

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

As the boys looked for another way out of this room, I managed to keep the female off them, getting more and more deep scratches as I did though. I could feel the poison from those claws start to make its way through my body, fighting to keep upright and braced for another attack. It was impossible to get a good angle to take her down, as each time I tried, she managed to get another hit in on me, and I had to pull back.

"There's an air vent!"

"You _really_ think we're gonna be able to _fit_ in that thing?!"

"Have you got a _better_ idea?!"

"Thats it, I'm coming up! I'll get you out of that room! Jade, you hang on!"

(Ithiell... the poison...)

"Should get out of your system when you shift... just hold on!"

"We gotta work-"

(Raph, I can't risk you letting get close to her! If she gets you... the poison could kill you)

"So why the hell are you letting-"

(Cause I can shift this away... at least I hope... and you cant)

"I don't like that answer" Donnie's response.

(There is nothing else we can do for now! She's too fast!)

"She is correct. In your current states, being... attacked... could very well kill you both in a matter of minutes, possibly an hour, if you are lucky"

"Then how did Jade survive all those years ago?" I could hear the boys doing something behind me, but my eyes were locked on the Terninan female. Although... my sight was slowly starting to blur...

"Dumb luck!" Ithiell's response to Donnie, feeling the world start to spin.

(Thanks...) Was all I could think to say, then (Ithiell, I can't-)

"Okay, but be careful"

I kept my eyes on her, knowing it was dangerous but also knowing if I didn't, she'd probably rip me to shreds.

I tried to focus my mind on another creature, instead finding myself start to become human, half cursing myself in my own mind. Now she was-

To my utter shock, her eyes widened, and she stood up straight, then a slow smile started to grace her lips, sharp teeth glinting in the artificial light.

Now back to myself, I found my head was now clear, and the floor felt solid under my feet.

"What are you smirking at?" I snarled at her, and she tilted her head to the side a little, letting out a strange sound.

"So it _is_ you" Her words shocked me more than her smile.

"Whoa, they can _talk?_!" Donnie's voice from behind me now, but I didn't dare turn to look at him, knowing she could strike at any moment now, and we were all vulnerable to that poison.

(Yes genius, they can talk. Female Terinans are somehow smarter than the male Terinans, and can learn languages faster) Robert now.

"Comforting"

"So... who _am_ I then?" I asked her, folding my arms across my chest. She did a strange kind of chuckle, then her claw moved down to point to her belly. Right where I-

" _You're_ the little girl who I thought I'd killed"

"Wait, what?" It hit me then, who she was "I thought Ithiell.. I thought he..."

"I thought I did too... stay on your guard Jade, I'm almost there"

She chuckled again "I was almost dead... but... thankfully... your young little friend didn't _actually_ kill me"

Again, I got some twisted sort of deja vu, looking at the Terinan who had almost put me into an early grave all those years ago. If it hadn't been for Ithiell and Rtaia...

"How?" Was all I got out, my mind reliving that terrifying moment when I was younger, being held down by this horrible creature, being poisoned...

"Fate" She smiled again "Now I get to finish what I started"

Before I could react, she was coming at me. Instinctively I jumped back, managing to backflip and finding myself hitting something solid and familiar, seeing her almost fly towards-

"No!" Her claws hit Donnie's Bo, and he smacked her in the face, knocking her down as my back was pressed against his chest.

She hit the floor, but in seconds she was up again, coming towards us. I managed to get away from Donnie, throwing fist forward and hitting her full force in the face, watching as she tumbled back again. We watched as she hit a large crate, seeming to have a harder time getting up.

"So... you've learned some new tricks" She stood up slowly, turning to me with a fire in her eyes.

"Yeah, the fighting back thing has really been great for my survival" I shook my hand a little, feeling it start to ache.

"I'll still kill you. It's not just a coincidence we're both here... on this ship... now"

I heard Raph make a huff somewhere behind me, but my eyes were fixated on her. Seemed like all our worst enemies just happened to be coming at us... and now, here was mine. She'd come so close to killing me, and now, she was here.

Maybe it _was_ fate... it was all designed this way...

Either way, I wasn't going to loose this fight. We were so close to finishing this war... I wasn't going to go down now.

"Donnie, Bo!" I yelled as she finally made a move towards me, finding it coming down above me and grabbing it, snapping it forward towards her as she reached me, sending her flying backwards again, into the same crate as before.

I held it front of me, focusing on a shift as she moved to get up again, shaking her head a little, her eyes now glaring at me as she did.

"Jade?" I knew the boys were confused, but I couldn't respond to them now. I had to keep myself focused on my next move.

"So... what do you think of this shift?" I asked in the more gutteral tone, seeing her eyes widen a little as I completed my shift.

"You... that will not work on me!" She snapped, heading for me again, but I ducked out of the way, slamming the Bo onto her back, hearing something crack in what hoped was her back as she hit the floor again.

"Donnie!" I threw the Bo back up in the air, half seeing him awkwardly catch it again as I jumped on her, digging my now Terinan claws deep in her back and hearing her screech.

"See how you like it, hey? Cause I'm sure it _will_ work" I dug deeper, feeling her try to get me off her, and I half tumbled to the side, letting go of her and scrambling to my feet. She seemed to be having trouble getting up herself, seeing blood start to seep from the wounds I'd made.

"You can't _poison_ me! It doesn't work that way!"

"Who said I'm trying to poison you?" I asked sweetly.

"You just dug my claws into my back, you idiot!"

"Oh no, you've got it aaaalll wrong" I chuckled a little "I did this so no matter what happens, you can't poison _me_ "

"Clever" Raph muttered, and I heard Donnie make a small humph sound as it finally clicked in the Terinan's mind.

"Well... you might be immune, but your friends aren't!" She suddenly darted sideways, towards the boys who were both instantly on guard, me going after her.

"Raph, ZAP!" I yelled, finally grabbing her and knocking her down before she could get to them. She fought to get off me again, but I noticed Raph had understood what I said, jumping off her and onto one of the crates, seeing the small metal thing fly past me. I turned just as she went to get up-

Her screams pierced my alien ears as the zapper hit her right in the face, paralyzing her and making her whole body convulse.

Then, it stopped, and her body collapsed to the ground, burnt to a crisp. I took that chance to look over at the other crate the boys had landed on, seeing them both nod at me.

She was dead. And I wasn't just imagining it...

 _BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!_

A horrible explosion just outside the door caught all our attention, screams and cries and something else now past that door.

We all waited, stock still, until the door finally slid open and in stepped none other than Ithiell, looking up at the three of us. There was heavy smoke billowing behind him... and what looked like parts of bodies.

"Well, come on! We don't have all day... and Jade, shift back, that's just creepy"

The next few minutes just seemed to flash by in a blur. We ran, we escaped, then after the enemies on the ground were down, we managed to get ourselves and the remaining soldiers out of harms way.

Something strange happened inside me, as I watched the explosion light up the night sky, hearing cheers from all around me.

A hope bubbled up inside me, one I hadn't felt in what seemed like forever. Just seeing... and knowing... that all of us working together, well... it was finally turning the tide.

We... humans, Chanaibens... even turtles and strange other creatures from out of space...

We were all... finally... winning this war.

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **Constructive criticism appreciated!**_


	29. Not Quite Over

**Chapter 29  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-**

I raised my hand up towards the light, smiling at the warmth as the sun started to rise. It really was looking like it would be a beautiful day...

For the most part, the war was now over. We'd won... we'd beaten the Yeerks, and now what was left of the human forces were banding together to finish of the last of the hidden pockets of Yeerks. They were easier to spot, now that all the pools had been destroyed. All they had to do was wait for the Yeerks in their heads to finally die, and the people would be free.

Did I regret killing so many people that could have been saved? Of course I did... but there was one important thing I'd learned from all those years in war, it was that you either kill, or be killed. There is no time for mercy, for regrets, when your in the midst of it all. My first experience in battle showed me that...

It was odd, thinking of how everything kind of came back around near the end, the Terinans... that female...

I swung my legs back and forth off the edge of cliff I was sitting on, leaning back on my hands and just watching the sun rise over the treeline, finally starting rise into the sky, looking to me like a big yellow ball.

All of us...Sequae, the Animorphs, the turtles... my group... were now big time news. What he hadn't known was there were camera crews filming at our last fight, and they had somehow managed to catch alot of the action without being seen or blown to smithereens. So... now our faces, and our names, were everywhere. I could only guess General Cardwell had a hand in making us front line news. He was the only... I guess you could say... normal person, we'd interacted with, who knew our names.

What would happen next, I wasn't sure. I was a little afraid of going back into society, back into what I guess you would call the 'real' world. I honestly didn't know where any of us would go from here.

I did half worry we'd leave the base and all go our separate ways, finding that I was so used to calling it home. So many memories, good and bad... living with my big adoptive family...

"There you are" I heard from behind me, managing to move my head just enough to see Donnie come and sit down, a hand on my back as he smiled down at me.

"Yep, here I am" I moved to give him a quick kiss, before resting my head on his shoulder, feeling him pull me close as we sat there.

"Been looking for you"

I looked up at him "Why? Everything all right?"

He nodded a little, moving away and going to grab something he had on him, finding it was one of those large travel mugs with the little cup as the lid.

"Rtaia wanted me to bring you this"

"Hmm... tea" I smiled, taking it from him and opening the cap, inhaling the sweet aroma.

"Still feeling sick?" He asked, and I moved back from the edge of the cliff as he followed, sitting on the ground not far from it. I twisted open the cap, then going to pour the hot water into the little cup.

"Not so much since Rtaia made this" I took a sip, feeling a small tingling go through my body, then offered him a taste. He respectfully declined, smiling at me as I took another sip.

Neither of us could work it out, but I had been feeling off since just after the last mission. We could only guess, and I had put my money on the fact the last year or so had been so full on, it had finally taken a toll on my body. So... Rtaia had given me this 'medicine' of sorts. A tea, packed with nutrients and antioxidants she thought my body might need, and it seemed to be working.

"Everyone else okay?" I asked as I raised the cup up once more, drinking the last of what was in it and seeing Donnie frown a little.

"Yeah, for the most part. Kristiana and Serah must have eaten another bad pizza of Mikey's though. And... well..."

He looked almost sad as he looked at me "I don't know what we're all going to do now"

I sighed as I put the cup back on the travel mug, placing it beside me "I don't either Donnie. I... to be honest, I really don't want to leave the base"

"It's our home" He smiled a little at me, and I moved into his lap, cuddling into him as we both looked back out at the sun rising.

"We've all become so close. And now... well, I don't want everyone to go off in their own directions. I want to stay and have fun and be silly and..."

I sighed, closing my eyes and just enjoying being with my ninja nerd for the moment.

"Guess that's what they call growing up though?" Donnie chuckled a little, and I couldn't help but shake my head at him, smiling and leaning up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"I think we grew up a long time ago" I finally said, still feeling so unsure about everything. We fell into a comfortable silence, before I felt him rubbing my arm a little.

"Hey, maybe we'll get lucky, and no one else will want to leave" I turned to look up at him, smiling hopefully. He shook his head a little, instead moving to kiss me gently.

"Little miss hopeful" He murmured, his cheek against mine as he put his arms around me in a hug, which I happily returned.

"One can dream" I told him, then an idea struck.

"I know there _is_ one thing we need to do"

"And what would that be?" He asked, smirking as he pulled back to look at me, shifting his glasses up again.

"You need to meet my family" I told him "And... well... they need to meet your brothers and Splinter and all that too"

He just looked at me "I understand me overdue to meet your family, but...uh..."

"Well..." I shifted myself on his lap, so now I was facing him "If you were really serious about... well... that night on the Eiffel tower..."

I found it hard to keep going, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks as I looked up at him. If he-

I gasped in surprise as he grabbed my head in his hands, kissing me with more passion than I'd ever felt from him, pulling back and looking straight into my eyes.

"Dead serious. Jade I love you... more than _anything_ "

"I love you too" I moved to kiss him, but he pulled away slightly, and I finally saw the serious look in his eyes.

"Donnie?"

"Jade, I didn't even think any of this could be possible. I thought... well, I thought I'd be with my brothers and Splinter for the rest of my life, and that was it"

"Donnie, I-"

He hushed me, before continuing "Then I met you. And... I didn't know what came over me. Besides April, you were the first girl I'd met who saw me as... well... something besides just a big mutant turtle"

I wanted to say something else, but I knew it was taking him a lot of effort to get this out, so I just sat quietly.

"Then you sat with me, and got to know me, you listened to me... and I... really found it hard to take my eyes off you sometimes. And then... after everything... all the bad things you went through, you kissed me. A girl... a human girl... kissed _me_!"

I couldn't help but little giggle at how his voice went high pitched, and he let out a little snort, before, seeing him raise an eyebrow. I covered my mouth, trying my best to stifle any more noises.

"Well... then you just kept surprising me. And... well... Jade, I really do want to marry you. I don't care how weird it is, or if we can't make it 'official' by human standards or anything! I want to spend the rest of my life with you... no matter what!"

The last comment brought me to tears, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close and sniffling a little.

"Oh Donnie, you are _everything_ I've ever wanted"

"A mutant turtle?"

"Oh you... Donnie!" I scolded, even as I held him closer "I just... I... ditto... to everything you just said"

He chuckled a little, holding me as close as he could and stroking my hair a little.

"You were the first guy to accept and want me for who I am Donnie _. You_ amaze _me_ more and more every day. The way you smile... some of the things you do... the way you just... everything you do, I just _love_. And I _never_ want to loose you"

I felt his fingers slide up into my hair as I moved to look in his eyes, our lips once again meeting in a sweet and passionate kiss.

This was the perfect moment, and I don't think I'd ever felt happier than at that moment. Life... I felt, was about to get so much-

(JAAAAAAAADE!)

We both jerked apart, looking for the direction the thought speak had come from.

(OH MY GOD JAAAADE! JAAAAAAADE!)

I got up off Donnie's lap, half pulling him up and both of us looking around.

"Wait... Serah?" I looked up at Donnie, who shrugged at me, looking equally confused. We couldn't see any sign of her.

"Serah! Where are you?!" I called, turning to the cliff face and finally seeing what looked like a red-tailed hawk heading towards us, flapping almost awkwardly.

"Ser-AH!" Before I knew it she slammed into me, making me loose my balance and crash back into Donnie, the three of us hitting the ground.

"Ow" I muttered, feeling what I thought was Serah flap weakly, finally managing to move off my poor turtle and setting Serah down.

"Not a good entrance" Donnie muttered, and we watched as Serah shifted back, looking at the two of us.

"I... sorry... wait, where you two-"

"No!" We both said in unison, hearing Donnie shuffle uncomfortably as I blushed a little, biting back the words _but a few more minutes and we might have_.

Any other time, I knew Serah would have made a blunt joke, but I was surprised when she grabbed my arms, shaking me a little.

"Oh my god Jade! I need to tell you... I just... I can't believe it!"

"Wait... slow it down" I managed to loosen her grip just enough so I didn't feel like I was being crushed. Instead, I led her to a spot away from the cliff edge, making her sit down. I sat in front of her, with Donnie sitting just to the side of us.

She grabbed the sides of her head, still looking like she was in disbelief. Her eyes were between wild, and looking like she wanted to cry as well as hit something very, _very_ , hard.

"I didn't even know this was possible! I mean... I know... it... when you..."

"Deep breath, and put your arms down... look at me" I tried to talk to her soothingly, taking her hands in mine and making her look at me. I smiled at her a little as I squeezed her hands to assure her.

"Jade... Rtaia just... she just told me I'm pregnant"

It felt like a lightning bolt just hit me. Some crazy... messed up part of my mind wondered if she was pulling a weird prank on us, but...

The rest of me knew... the way she was reacting to this...

"How is that even _possible_?!" Donnie almost squeaked, sounding about as shocked as I felt.

Serah could only shrug, before she eventually found her voice again.

"I... I don't know... I mean, sure, Leo and I have-"

"Don't say it" Warned her.

"Our physiology is so different... how is it even _possible_ for our... for us turtles and you girls... to be even _compatible_ for... for _reproduction_!" Donnie was up and pacing now, sounding almost panicked.

"I don't know. But... Kristiana found out the same time as I did"

"Wait, what?!" I almost yelped, feeling like I was about to faint. They were both _pregnant?!_

"Have you even told Leo yet?!" Donnie's voice was high pitched again, turning to look at her finally. She looked down, her lower lip trembling, and Donnie half slapped his forehead.

"Oh great, so now _I_ know Leo's going to be a father before _he_ does!"

"I don't even know how to _begin_ to tell him!" She protested, tears in her eyes now.

"And... oh my god Mikey is gonna have a _heart attack_!"

"Kristiana was going to go tell him... I just... I don't know... I wish I'd spoken to her first..."

"But instead you came out hunting for Jade, to tell her that you're preg- oh no, Jade?"

I looked up at Donnie, seeing fear in his eyes. A horrible sinking feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach then.

"Donnie, you don't think-"

"Well, you haven't been well, and-"

"But... I haven't been... I mean... ah fuck!" I slapped my own forehead.

"Rtaia?" He suggested.

"Rtaia" I confirmed, and we both got up to head back to the base, leaving Serah there, gawking at our backs as we left.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I pushed the little cotton ball on the place where Rtaia had taken blood, seeing her turn to a piece of equipment, placing the blood sample into it.

"We should know within the hour" She said finally, looking from me to a very nervous Donnie.

"Rtaia... how is it _possible_ that Serah and Kristiana are pregnant?" I finally asked her, hearing Leo talking to what sounded like Raph somewhere in the main room. I wondered when Serah was going to tell him... poor guy...

"I... do not understand it myself. Physically, it should not be possible. Although, your bodies are... compatible... it should not be genetically plausible"

"Exactly what I thought" Donnie muttered, more to himself than us. Then his eyes went wide, and he moved towards the open door.

"Uh, hey, Ithiell!" Donnie now called out, hearing a faint "Yeah" in reply.

"Could we please get your... input... on a new situation?"

"Sure"

In seconds Ithiell was joining us, looking from Donnie to me, before giving Rtaia a strange look.

"You're not trying to do some weird inter species study, are you?" He asked her.

"No" Donnie shut the door, and we explained the situation to him, his eyes suddenly going wide.

"Uh... I reaaaally hate to say this... but I noticed Amanda has been very moody lately. A lot more than she usually would be. Cries at the drop of a hat..."

"We... no way" I muttered, knowing they were all looking at me but I didn't care.

"Jade, care to share?" Ithiell finally asked, and I finally managed to look at him, biting my lip a little.

"Ithiell... we can't all be... pregnant... could we?"

"We do know that humans are compatible with Chanaibens, Ithiell" Rtaia added, eyeing him carefully "Have you been having-"

"You know, I'm not going there but... I think I'll get Amanda and Rachel in here as well"

"Good id-"

Before he could finish, we heard a horrible thump, and Kristiana scream "Mikey!"

All of us were out the door in a matter of seconds, looking at Leo and Raph, who were giving us the same sort of stare.

"Where did that come from?"

"The hanger!" Leo sprung into action, all of us following.

"Mikey!" Raph yelled, as we all came across a shocking sight.

Mikey was on the floor, obviously passed out, and Kristiana was holding his head, tears in her eyes.

"What happened?" I went over to her, a hand on her shoulder as the boys surrounded their brother's lifeless form.

"He just... he fainted"

"Doesn't sound like Mikey" Leo muttered as Donnie quickly checked him over.

"He's just out, just small bump on the head it looks like. Nothing serious"

"I didn't have time to catch him. I just... well, I told him some shocking news... he kind of didn't take it too well"

"What the _heck_ did you tell him?" Raph grunted, half shoving his brothers younger form a little in an attempt to wake him up, but he was out cold.

"Well, I just... he's going to-" Before she could tell us, the hanger bay door opened, and Serah strode in, a determined look on her face.

"Serah, are you all right?" Leo got up, moving to go to her but she was already there, hands on his chest and starting to push him backwards.

"I have to tell you something, and I have to tell you now before I chicken out"

"Serah, maybe we-"

"No, Leo, I have to do it now!"

He hit the wall near us, Serah's hands both pressed on his chest, staring up at him as he looked awkwardly down at her.

"Um, Serah-"

"Leo, I need you to know... I'm pregnant and you're going to be a dad!"

The air in the room was tense, as I don't think any of us even moved. I could see the wheels turning in Leo's head, showing through on his face.

Anger, confusion... denial... disbelief...

"S-serah, I don't-"

"I don't either, but it's the truth and you gotta deal with it!" She stepped back a little, hands on her hips.

I think at that point it finally sunk in, and we all watched in horror as his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his legs gave out under him.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

We all sat in the main room, none of us talking but all of us feeling grim.

Rtaia's results had revealed devastating news; all five of us girls were pregnant. How? We didn't know.

What we did know was that Serah and Kristiana were at least a month further along than the rest of us. I was the last to... get pregnant... or so she'd told me. I was two weeks behind Amanda and Rachel.

"Mom is gonna kill me" Serah finally muttered, and Kristiana nodded in agreement. The girls had gotten Mikey and Leo back up, but even they looked grim.

I felt Donnie squeeze my hand a little, and I looked up at him. He tried to smile, but I knew... even he was worried. He was going to be a dad and I was...

I was definitely not ready for this.

"What...what are they gonna be?" Mikey asked the question I think we were all thinking.

"Mutant humans?" Rachel wondered, hearing Raph grunt a little at her.

"Still can't believe this"

"Neither can any of us" Leo muttered to his brother "I didn't... I mean..."

"Well, your mating habits have been quite frequent, and per-"

"Thank you Rtaia, I think we all understand how mating works by now" Ithiell cut her off, sharing a look with Amanda. She was fiddling with a loose thread on her jumper, trying to rip at it without destroying the whole article of clothing.

"How are we going to tell Splinter?" Donnie asked, looking at Leo, who sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I really... don't know. I'm still having trouble even believing this is real"

"You and me both" Raph shook his head "We're mutants, how are we even able to... reproduce"

"Tough word" Mikey pouted a little.

"Oh he is going to kill us" Serah put her head in her hands.

"Well... maybe not us... but definitely the boys" I tried to sound fake cheerful, hearing Donnie groan from beside me.

"Jade, this isnt-"

"My children"

I think all of us froze in that moment. Well... all of us except Rtaia.

A billion things went flying though my head... what to say... how could we carefully explain the situation, because hiding it would do no good... how I was going to survive any more training sessions with him now I was-

"Sensei, we uh... didn't hear you come in" Leo was up instantly, bowing slightly at Splinter. Mikey and Donnie followed their brothers lead, with Raph choosing to grunt and look away like he usually did.

I got up as well, trying to look the part of the dedicated student.

"My dear sons and daughters... I heard the commotion, and then your conversations while I was attempting to meditate in the dojo"

My heart leapt to my throat, looking up at Donnie, who's face probably mirrored my own.

"Uh... busted?"

"Mikey!" Leo slapped his arm, making him whimper a little.

"Uh, Splinter, we-"

"My sons, join me in the dojo"

I heard small groans from the boys, squeezing Donnie's hand before he let go and seeing the fear in his eyes as he slowly got up to follow his brothers.

The four of them filed into the dojo, but Splinter turned to the rest of us.

"Ithiell?"

"Uh... yes Splinter?" Ithiell looked a little nervous then.

"You are my son also... please, join myself and your brothers in the dojo"

"Oh...uh... of course" He shared a look with the rest of us girls, moving to where Splinter was, giving him a small but respectful bow before disappearing inside. Splinter looked at each of us girls, his face unreadable.

"We will not be long" He turned slowly, and instantly Serah was up, gaping a little as I watched her start to shift, the rest of the girls trying not to do anything to alert Splinter as she shrunk.

I knew what she was doing, and hurried to catch up to her, knowing if Splinter caught her she would probably be in deep trouble from him.

Splinter shut the door just after we squeezed in, two tiny flies, and we both latched ourselves to the ceiling as quickly as possible.

(Are you insane?!) I snapped at her.

(Well... let me think... we're pregnant to turtles... so, _yes_ , just a little!)

(If Splinter finds out about this we're _toast_!)

(Well...maybe you _are_...)

We both trailed off, watching with the shattered vision of the fly as Splinter moved to stand on the podium, in front of the turtles and Ithiell. All were sitting on their legs, and all looked remorseful.

"My sons" Splinter began in a low voice, stroking his whiskers "I am very disappointed in you and your behavior. Your irresponsibility in this matter has saddened me greatly"

"But... Sensei, we didn't mean to-" Mikey moved to get up.

"Silence, my son!" Instantly Mikey was down, groaning a little. Splinter had literally knocked his feet out from under him...

"I understand, that you boys are... young... but I believed you... my sons... would be more responsible than what you have been lately. Do not think I have not noticed your... actions..."

"Sensei, we-"

"No, you _will_ listen" Splinter grabbed Donnie's leg, knocking him back on his shell. I heard him make let out a small and painful groan.

(Splinter is pissed) I muttered, letting the girls outside know as well.

"Clearly, you were not thinking of the consequences such actions would bring!"

(I've never seen him so mad) Serah said, and I hummed in agreement.

"Sensei" Leo stood this time "Mikey is right, we had no intention of-"

"Silence!" Now Leo was down, and I heard Serah let out a small whimper, seeing Leo grit his teeth as he moved to get himself back into a sitting position.

"Splinter, the turtles and I-ow!" Ithiell yelped as Splinter now smacked him on the back of the head to silence him. I was surprised Raph hadn't tried to say anything yet, as he was the hot-head of the group. I think he was still trying to process it all...

"You have greatly dishonored this family by your actions. The only way to return honor to this household is to..." Splinter suddenly smiled "Marry them"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Raph jumped up, almost yelling, and instantly he was down. I almost let go of the ceiling I was so shocked.

(Oh my gosh...)

(Okay girls, what the hell is going on in there?!) I heard Rachel ask (I just heard Raph yell out)

(Uh... tell you later) I muttered, watching as the five boys grumbled a little.

"I do not see why this is an issue... as the five of you love those girls very much, and they feel the same for you, my sons"

"Sensei..." Leo seemed to be choosing his words very carefully "We do love the girls, but we weren't even aware this could even happen. I mean, with Ithiell we had an idea he might, but... Sensei, we're... mutants..."

"Gee, thanks Leo" Ithiell muttered, scratching his head a little.

"Being a... mutant... as you say... does not excuse you from your responsibilities now"

"Well... Jade and I already want to get married later on-"

"No"

They all froze.

"You will get married, and very soon"

"How soon?"

Splinter just smiled, and I heard the boys muttering between themselves.

(Oh... well, looks like we're all going to be having shotgun weddings girls)

(Maybe all on the same day, if Splinter gets his way) Serah added.

(Well... shit)

 **-x-x-x-xx-x-xx-x-x-x-  
**

 **I would just like to credit my old time writing friend Karone-Sakura for helping me write the last part of this chapter!**

 **She is amazing and has helped me so much, THANKYOU SO SO MUCH!  
**

 **If you get a chance guys, go check out her page, and her stories :)**

 **Constructive Criticism appreciated!  
**


	30. A Brand New Day

**Chapter 30  
**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

I had never felt more awkward in my life as I sat in the dressing room, staring at the others around me.

Amanda looked to be in her element, and Robert probably looked worse than I did. Ithiell and Rtaia had somehow managed to fend off the makeup artists hands, and were mostly untouched. I however...

"I feel like I'm going to fall forward from the weight of this makeup" I mumbled, leaning back in the slightly uncomfortable chair "Why did we agree to do this?"

"You know why" Ithiell was now wiping off whatever they'd put on him, looking a little annoyed.

"You know we won't get any privacy after this" Robert folded his arms, his eyes icy as he glared at the door, where people were walking past.

"It's why we have the base" Amanda told him, sharing a look with me and winking.

"We still need to be careful. They could find a way to track my fighter, and then... well, lots of crazy people out there" Ithiell looked in the mirror, still trying to get something off his face.

It was two weeks later, and Marco had gotten in contact with us, letting us know a talk show had asked us to come on and... well... talk about who we were. Ithiell had agreed, although he had taken precautions not to be tracked here. The turtles and Splinter were appearing on another show, one which Marco would be a part of, just in case some idiot humans decided to try something... like capture them for study. Rachel and Tobias were also appearing on the same show, in the next slot they had, to talk about the Animorphs that didn't make it.

The world was alive with news of us, and until we'd stepped back into the city, I didn't realise how popular we were. Images of that fight were splashed all over the news... magazines... and all I could hear when we'd walked down the streets was whispers and excited squeals.

It kind of got on my nerves a little. I wasn't sure if it was just the fact that for over a year all I'd seen was my adoptive family, or... the fact I was now carrying something inside me, which was causing me terrible mood swings.

I touched my stomach a bit, wondering what it was going to be. According to Rtaia, I was six weeks along. So... nothing was showing yet.

"Jade, better not do that here" Amanda muttered, so instead I pretended to scratch my belly, seeing a girl probably only a year or so older than us peeking in.

"Sorry, just..." I moved to scratch my head "It's just... weird"

"No talking about any of it here" Ithiell warned "Last thing we need is have that get out"

"Ithiell is correct" Rtaia spoke up, seeing another girl peek in. Robert let out a strange kind of growl, and they both made a weird squeak, vanishing back out the door.

"I can't wait for this to be over... Ithiell!" Amanda snapped, slapping his shoulder and making him yelp.

"Ow! What?!"

"Why the hell did you have to agree to this! We're getting stared at... like... heaps!"

"Gee Mand... I thought you'd be in your element" I snorted a little, surprised to hear Robert let out a large guffaw.

"I'm not that confident! Geez..." She grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest and looking away, annoyed.

"Love you Mandy Mand!" I cooed at her, grinning and knowing she couldn't stay mad at me for long.

"Love you too" She said finally, before someone came in to get us, and our now awkward troop followed him.

"So, you'll be on for ten minutes, maybe fifteen depending on our host Miranda" He was saying "She may want to ask you a few more questions than what we've got for you"

"Mister Ithiell!" Suddenly a young woman was hanging off his arm, and he stopped walking, starting to stiffen when she half shoved a recorder in his face. In that moment I realised Ithiell had gotten taller...

"What happened with-"

"Dammit, a reporter... guards!" Instantly two big burly guys were grabbing her, yanking her off his arm and towards the exit. Her legs were kicking wildly...

"What... the?"

"Ithiell... you okay?" Robert asked, patting his back a little. He sighed, finally relaxing his body and nodding.

"That was... weird"

"Sorry guys, it happens from time to time... now... please come with me" He ushered us towards the stage, just as I heard the lady who hosted the talk show... talking... about us, and what we did.

"Does anyone else just feel like taking off now?" I muttered as I heard her mention our names, then "Please welcome... the shifters!"

"What a stupid name" Robert grumbled under his breath as we were led onto the stage, suddenly feeling overwhelmed at the amount of people who were actually in the studio audience. It was, well... it was crowded in here.

"Welcome, sit sit" She grinned at us, her perfect whites and bleach blonde hair catching me a little off guard, but I sat on the large couch beside the others, ending between Robert and Amanda. Again, I realised how much we'd all grown. Robert had put on some muscle, as well as being almost the same height as Ithiell, and Amanda... well... she'd really become a beautiful young woman, and the make up seemed to do wonders for her.

"So, how are you all?" She started. We all managed get out some sort of weird mutual response, hearing Amanda return the question to her.

"I'm good, thanks for asking" She replied "So guys, can you tell me where you all started? I've heard you've been around for a while"

"Well Miranda, it's been about nine years for us. We all kind of... well, crashed into each other you could say" Amanda chirped, and I was surprised how natural about all this she sounded.

"Wow... so you've been... fighting aliens... for nine years?!" She looked almost shocked. We all nodded.

Slowly, we all managed to tell her a short version of how we started. Then, it was up to me to explain how we found out about the Animorphs, and the Yeerks, and how we joined in on the second war. Miranda looked genuinely shocked and interested to hear about it all.

"So how did you guys manage to meet four big talking turtles and the rat they call Splinter... I think it was" She asked, crossing and uncrossing her legs.

"Well... again... this girl here" Amanda half shook me, giggling a little as I blushed.

I felt a little more awkward, trying to give a brief version of the meeting of the turtles, but avoided talking about the mutagen discovery. If that ever got out...

"Sounds like if you hadn't done what you did, you never would have met either of these other amazing groups... and we probably wouldn't be sitting here, talking to you"

"That is probably true" Ithiell told her, trying his best to smile, all of us jumping a little as the crowd erupted in cheers. It was such a weird sound to hear, especially when it was directed at us.

She waited until the cheers died down, before "Well, thank you all so much for coming onto the show. Before you go though, we do have a little surprise for you Amanda, and for Robert"

We all looked at each other, Ithiell and I half shrugging before we all turned back to her. She smiled again.

Instead of explaining herself, she indicated to the left side of the stage, and my eyes bulged a little as three people I didn't think I'd ever see again came onto the stage, as well as two more that I hadn't seen before.

"Dad!" Amanda cried, jumping up and running over to her father and brothers, seeing her almost body slam her dad, before hugging the two boys happily. I felt tears form in my eyes, moving over as well and catching Connor's eye.

"Come here you!" He grabbed me, twirling me around before hugging me tightly. Then Matt was there, half ruffling my hair before they all moved over to Amanda, who was openly sobbing.

While all this was happening, I was aware that Robert had gotten up as well, going towards the old man and the slightly younger woman, who almost looked like his mum.

"Pop pop... Auntie Kate" He murmured, hugging them both and letting out a hurtful sob.

"We managed to find some of your family members, as we knew the town you three came from was destroyed, so, we did some digging-"

I could half hear Miranda explaining herself, but my focus was now on Amanda.

She had her family back...

And even though Robert didn't have his mum, it seemed like those two people meant alot to him as well.

What a crazy and emotional day this was turning out to be!

-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

"Would you settle?" I asked, patting the seat next to me, but Donnie shook his head continuing to pace. I sighed, looking around at the small clearing, resting back into the fold out chair Ithiell had found for us, just looking up at the blue sky. Donnie's pacing wasn't doing my nerves any good either. And considering I'd probably need to tell them-

"I hope they like me"

I looked over at him "Why wouldn't they like you?"

He scratched the back of his head, turning to look at me "Well... I... we... um..."

"Donnie" I got up, moving over to stand in front of him, my hands on his shoulders "They're going to love you. Mum already told me she doesn't care what you are, as long as you make me happy... and you do"

"What about..." He moved my hand, lifting my shirt a little to rest it on my now exposed stomach. I frowned.

"How about well tell them... _after_... the wedding?"

"Hmm" Was he seemed to be able to say, rubbing my belly a little.

"You know, you won't be able to feel anything"

"I know, it's just... I'm still so confused how the two of us..."

I looked up at him "Are you having second thoughts about all this?"

He finally looked up from my midsection, seeming to be shocked by the question.

"Now why would you think that?"

"I dunno... its just... we're still... and we don't even know what it's gonna look like"

"As I said" His eyes went back down "I still don't even understand how we made... it"

I grinned, finally moving his hand and taking it in my own "Well, when a girl and turtle love each other very much-"

"Ha ha, very funny" He rolled his eyes, moving to kiss me.

"Well... we do. I mean.. we did have a lot of-"

"I know, I was there" He grinned at me, before moving himself away from me and starting his pacing again.

"Technically we shouldn't even be compatible reproductively"

"Well... it could have something to do with me being a shifter"

He shrugged "Possibly. I just... what about Kristiana then?"

"Donnie, get your butt over here"

For once, he complied, moving to stand back in front of me.

"You need to quit it. All this thinking is bad for your health... and for mine"

"But-"

"No, we focus on the here and now. We're here, we're together... we have made some tiny little mutant baby... thing... and now, you will be meeting my family for the first time. I just... keep an eye on my dad, he has a habit of over-reacting"

Donnie chuckled a little "Leo told me"

"Yeah, well-" I was cut off as the wind suddenly picked up around us, and we looked up to see Ithiell's fighter uncloak, moving so he could land.

"Here goes" I told him, hearing him whimper a little as the fighter hit the ground, hearing the engines start to power down. After about a minute or so, the hatch started to open.

"Jade!"

"Maa!" I bolted towards my mother as she came out, almost crash tackling one another, feeling we'd hit hard but not caring. She was crying... I was crying...

"Baby girl!" I moved just in time for my dad to pick me up, wrapping me in his big arms and almost squeezing the life out of me.

"Dad... easy" I wheezed, and he let me go. I was able to take a short breath in, before Ryan and Tina were all over me. I was surprised how much Ryan had grown, finding he was now taller than me. Tina, luckily, had stopped around my height.

"Big sis!"

"We saw you on TV!"

"Thanks TinTin" I muttered, pulling back and looking at the two. I was amazed...they were both now fourteen... they had definitely matured, it seemed like.

"Sis" I looked at Ryan now, blinking a little and realising his voice had dropped as well.

"I've missed so much" I felt tears come to my eyes then, finding the four were all hugging me again. My family... I'd missed them so much...

"Wait... where's Phoebe?" I asked, managing to turn and look up at my mum from the big hugging pile.

"Oh... she was with your friend Ithiell... I think she likes-" They all let go of me, turning to see Ithiell in the doorway of the fighter. But he wasn't looking at us.

We all turned to where he was looking, and I couldn't help but grin madly.

Phoebe was there... looking up at Donnie, who was looking down at her.

"Uh... hi" Donnie got out, sounding nervous as he did a little wave down at her.

"You Donnie?" She asked, surprised even she sounded more mature than when I'd last seen her.

"Um... yes?" He almost squeaked now. I had warned him about her, wondering if I'd actually scared him as she turned her head a little.

His smile dropped as she just kept looking, then jumped a little as she put her arms out, closing the distance between them and hugging him where she could reach.

"Hi, I'm Phoebe!"

"Hi, nice to meet you?" He moved to pat her head, looking at the rest of us. I decided at that point the poor guy needed rescuing.

"Phoebes, hey!" I moved away from the rest of the family, holding my arms out and seeing her just now seem to realise I was there.

"JAAAAADE!" I felt myself hitting the ground, not caring as I hugged my little mini me as close as I could.

"I missed you big sis"

"I missed you too minion"

"We all missed you" Mum was above us, looking down and shaking her head. I grinned up at her.

"You love meeeee"

"Sometiiiimes!"

"So... this is the boyfriend" I heard dad say, yelping a little as he stomped past us, struggling to get back to my feet with Phoebe still half latched onto me.

"Uh... dad, don't-" I saw him stop right in front of Donnie, although instead of confused, Donnie looked almost terrified.

"Um...um... hi Mister-"

"Don't mister me!" He pointed a finger in his face, making Donnie back up a little.

"Dad!" I managed to dislodge Phoebe, moving to stand between him and Donnie. He looked down at me, annoyance on his face now.

"Dad, no" I pointed up at him now, making him back up enough so we could all breathe a little.

"I want to know what his intentions are!"

"To love me and take care of me, what hes been doing for almost three years now?"

"Wow... three years..." I saw my mother look from Donnie to me, surprising me by stepping forward, moving both me and dad aside.

"Hi... Donnie was it? I'm Jade's mum" Mum said sweetly, extending a hand towards Donnie, who gingerly took it, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

"Oh... hi. Donatello... or... Donnie" He sounded only a little less nervous, but mum shook his hand confidently, smiling up at him.

"It is so good to meet the... turtle... that has taken care of my daughter through all this time"

"It's nice to meet you too, I'm sorry we didn't... before..." Donnie trailed off, letting go of her hand and shifting his weight a little.

"Hi, Tina" Now my sister jumped forward, shaking his hand as well.

"Ryan, but you can call me Ryce" Ryan grinned at him, giving him a good hearty shake, which he tried to return.

"Nice to meet you all"

"We met your brothers" Tina piped up.

"Yeah, they were pretty cool too. I liked Leo and his Katanas... soo cool" Ryan now, and the twins looked at each other. Their acceptance seemed to relax Donnie a little.

"Aaaand you've already met Phoebes" I told him, grabbing onto her as she tried to run towards him again. Guess she hadn't matured _that_ much...

"Aww..."

"So... what are your intentions towards my oldest daughter?" Dad asked again, and I noticed mum had a firm grip on his arm to stop him from moving towards Donnie again.

"Dad, come on" I started to make a move, surprised when Donnie straightened up, then bowed respectfully.

"My intention is to love and take care of your daughter for the rest of our lives. She is the light of my life and I don't know what I'd do without her. I would never hurt her intentionally, and I would never disrespect her in any way"

"I...I believe you" My dad looked utterly shocked, almost rooted in place. But Donnie wasn't done yet.

"Sir... I need to tell you... I need to ask you... I want to be with Jade forever... will you give me your blessing to marry your daughter?"

I think if I wasn't holding onto Phoebe I would have fallen over.

No one seemed to know what to do, all of us dead silent. Dad was simply staring at Donnie, his mouth open. He seemed to be trying to say words, but nothing came out. I saw Donnie's fists clench a little, knowing he probably felt a little awkward in the position he was in.

"Well, I don't know about you dear" I jerked a little as mum moved forwards, touching Donnie's shoulders and gently pulling him back up into a standing position "But this boy... turtle... has _my_ blessing"

"Us too!" Ryan and Tina were instantly over next to mum, both looking giddily up at him. He smirked a little, starting to look a little relieved as he pushed his glasses up a little. Phoebe soon joined them, Ryan picking her up and piggybacking her.

"Me too, me too" She said, patting the front of his shell "I like you"

"Thank you" He said warmly. I was even more surprised when my mum reached forward took his hand in hers.

"And boy that will take care of my daughter, and shows this much respect for her family... has my permission to take her hand in marriage"

"Well..." Dad finally spoke, and we all turned to him. I felt myself cringe a little, seeing he had the kind of face on I remember from when I was little and I did something bad. He walked up to all of them, moving my siblings and mum aside, now just looking slightly up at him.

"Um... sir?" Donnie gulped a little when my dad hadn't said anything after about thirty seconds.

We all jumped as dad's arm moved, and for a split second I thought he was going to hit Donnie. Instead, my dad offered his hand.

"Donatello... was it?"

He nodded, slowly and carefully taking my dads hand.

"Donnatello... Donnie... you have my permission to marry my daughter"

Relief flooded Donnie's face, and my dad finally smiled, shaking Donnie's hand.

"Thank you sir" He responded, nodding respectfully. The two moved apart from each other.

"Does that mean I get to be a bridesmaid?" Tina sounded almost excited at the idea. We all couldn't help but laugh.

"You all get to be a part of it" I moved to pull her towards me, putting my arm around her shoulder and kissing her temple. She pulled a face, but surprisingly hugged me back.

"What about that one?" Phoebe suddenly asked, pointing right at me.

"What, me?" I raised an eyebrow, watching as she moved herself down from Ryan's back and coming over to me.

"No silly, this one" She poked my stomach, and I froze a little. How did she...

"What's she talking about?" Mum asked, looking from me to Donnie, who now looked like he wanted to use his ninja skills to vanish.

"Well... I'm not-" I went to say, surprised when my youngest sister put her ear against my stomach, giggling a little.

"Hello little one" She said.

"What... LITTLE ONE?!" Dad roared to life, turning to Donnie and glaring at him. Donnie made a small whimper, starting to move back a little.

"Oh... dad no!" I yelled, letting go of Tina as my dad grabbed a large stick from the ground, then chasing Donnie around with it.

This part was going to be _alot_ harder to explain... especially with my dad screaming at the top of his lungs, after my poor ninja, who was crying out trying to get my dad to stop chasing him.

Safe to say, it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

I blew a hair out of my eyes, looking at myself in the mirror. I didn't look impressed.

And.. well... I wasn't really. Somehow... by some weird ninja mind trick was what I guessed... Splinter had convinced the government here to make these pairings between us girls and his sons... legal. Although, we wouldn't be all over the news this time. They would be discreet...but legal... weddings. So the girls... being who they were... all wanted proper weddings. Dresses, receptions, cakes... walking down isles... all that stuff. So... that's what we all planned together. And yes... even me... then again, with the other four... I didn't really get much say.

So... a month later... Serah and Leo were the first ones to get hitched. It was a beautiful wedding... they had found someone who would make some kind of formal looking clothing for the boys... so Leo looked very dashing in something other than his gear, the only thing on him remaining was the bandanna he wore over his eyes. Even with it, I could see the tears as he saw Serah for the first time walking down the isle... she really was beautiful in white...

Then, Mikey and Kristiana. I had honestly never seen Mikey so happy and hyper as he did that day. I think we all had a good laugh when Kristiana shoved the cake in Mikey's face, with him returning the favor to her afterwards.

Even Raph shed tears when he and Rachel finally tied the knot. For the two hot heads, they had a fairly mellow wedding.

I think everyone was brought to tears when Amanda decided to sing at her and Ithiell's. She had always wanted to be a singer, and her sweet voice reverberated through the hall that night. She sung a song about the love she had for Ithiell, and I think pregnant or not I would have bawled my eyes out. It was just so sweet... and it spoke volumes for their love...

But now... it was my turn.

I was three and a half months along at this point, and my middle was just starting to slowly bulge out. But that wasn't what was making me uncomfortable.

"Come on Jade, sit up" Amanda cooed, pushing my back a little as suddenly she was up against my face, some kind of torture instrument in her hands.

Torture instrument... being a make up applying... thing.

I felt like I'd been in the same chair for about an hour, not sure what they were doing, but knowing I was quickly getting sick of it.

"Why can't you be done already? I already look like some overdone version of myself"

"Its not overdone... we're trying to make you look beautiful for your big day"

Big day... it was weird... I was getting married today, and yet... it just felt like any other day.

Well... any other day with the girls ganging up on me.

Serah was doing something with my hair, and Amanda and Kristiana were taking turns with putting make up on, both of them mumbling to each other what would look good. Rachel was getting my dress ready so I could just step into it, as well as running around for the other girls. They were all going to be my bridesmaids... and Tina would be the maid of honor. But she, as well as my mum and Phoebe, who would be the flower girl, were all in the next room getting ready.

"You know, I just realised something" Kristiana said from somewhere, clicking her tongue a little.

"What's that?" Rachel asked, and I saw her behind me in the mirror when Amanda moved away. She was looking at whatever Serah was doing with a few strands of my hair.

"Us five girls had been through alot together" She said, coming into view as she rubbed her slightly swollen belly.

"Yeah... and now we're all going to go through pregnancy together... whoopee" Rachel rolled her eyes a little, moving away to do something just beside me.

"Well, Kristiana and I are I guess halfway through, so... I think we're doing all right"

"So when is Rtaia going to get that scanner working anyway?" I asked, slightly eager to find out what we were all carrying. From what Serah had told me, whatever she had enjoyed pretending it was a tumble dryer from time to time.

"Oh, another few weeks I think. She's been busy with... something or other" Amanda muttered, rolling here eyes a little.

"Hope it's soon. I want to know if whatever this is will be painful or not"

"Whatever it is... we can take it" Rachel smiled, clenching her hand into a fist and shaking it a little. She was dead set determined...

Soon, the torture was over, and I found Serah had made little ringlets in my hair, putting them in a strange half up, half down style. The makeup I thought was a little too over done, but the girls insisted it wasn't. They helped me into my dress, which had a long trail, and didn't seem like me at all, but... well... we'd all had to find dresses that would cover our bellies. This one splayed out at the waist, falling to the ground almost elegantly. The top half was a little tight, and the top of the dress rested off the shoulder. There was a deep dip in the middle, showing off my slowly growing...uh... assets.

The girls helped me adjust the dress, shuffling around to get their own dresses on while I carefully slipped my shoes on, going to look in the mirror.

"Hooooly crap" I think it all started to finally sink in then, realising...

Well, realising I was going to walk down the isle. Towards my Donnie...

"Jade?"

"I'm really doing this, aren't I? I'm really going to marry... my turtle boyfriend..."

"Oh don't be so dramatic! We've all done it... now it's just your turn..."

"But... I... never thought..." I moved to a table to lean on it, my head spinning a little.

I was getting married to Donnie... a my ninja mutant... not a teenager anymore... turtle... and I was pregnant by him... we were going to have a mini us running around...

"Whoa hunny, you okay?" Kristiana was there, holding me up a little. I took a deep breath, trying to nod.

"It all just kinda... hit me..."

"That happened to me too... don't worry, it'll pass soon" She moved to sit me down slowly.

"You'll be okay" Amanda was now there, kneeling in front of me and smiling "Come on Jade, we've been through a whole shit ton together... what's a little wedding gonna do?"

"Little...wedding?" I squeaked a little.

"Donnie is gonna love that dress... brings out that-"

"Oh Rach, please... just...shush" I groaned a little.

The door opening startled all of us, and we made similar noises of surprise as my mum and sisters came in, shutting the door behind them.

"Oh, my beautiful baby girl... look at you" She had tears on her eyes as she came over to me, and I got up to go give her a hug.

"No ruining each others make up!" Amanda half scolded, but I felt her hand on my back. She knew this day meant alot to the both of us...

"Come on mum, Jade... girls... we gotta get this show on the road" Tina clapping brought us all back to the present, and the other girls got themselves ready as I sat again, talking to my mum a little.

Then... before I knew it... I was there.

The girls fussed around with my dress as I stood just out of sight of the isle, trembling a little as they handed my flowers to me, seeing my mum finally give the people in the hall a big thumbs up.

Then the music started...

"Oh... boy..."

"You'll be right... now, where's dad" Tina looked around, surprised at how mature and helpful she was being. She made sure Phoebe went first... then paired the girls up to go down the isle together... then prepared to take herself down.

"I love you little sis" I blurted without realising it, trying my hardest not to just burst into tears.

She turned to me, surprised when she smiled, giving me a quick sideways hug, saying "Love you too big sis, no matter what happens"

My dad was suddenly there, looking me up and down and looking like he wanted to cry.

"Dad, I-"

"I'm so proud of you baby, now... let's give you to your future husband" He offered an arm for me to take, which I grabbed into gratefully. Then, after taking a deep breath, we slowly walked into view.

Husband...

I felt a little dizzy again, looking at all the people in the chairs, waiting for us to walk down the isle. Then up at the five boys down the front, all dressed up and waiting. Then... my eyes caught sight of Donnie...

He looked like the other boys, dressed up... but...

Something about him just shone, looking at him. He was smiling the cutest little lopsided grin as he met my eyes, and I could have sworn I saw tears in them...

I blushed a little, and my dad slowly led is down the isle, the music playing softly as people started to take pictures.

I felt my heart start to pound the closer we got to the front of the room, trying my hardest not to cry as well as feeling like I was going to faint.

This was it... this was the day I thought would never come...

"Hello Beautiful" Donnie greeted me as we reached him, and it was then I saw he really was crying.

"Hey Handsome" I responded, watching as he wiped some of the tears away, shifting his glasses again as he did.

My dad let go of me, kissing my hand before grabbing Donnie's, placing my hand in his.

"You take care of my daughter, you hear?" I know the threat was meant to be serious, but I heard the waver in my dad's voice, watching as Donnie nodded to him.

"Yes Sir, I will"

"Good" With that, my dad moved away, and Donnie took both my hands in his as I turned to look up at him.

"Stop crying... you're gonna make me cry" I murmured to him as the celebrant finally started to speak.

"Can't help it... you look... I don't even have words" He said, still with that silly lopsided grin.

"Don't get used to it" I warned him, hearing the celebrant clear her throat, looking at us as we muttered apologies, then fell silent as she continued.

Her words seemed blend into one another as I looked up at Donnie, feeling like at that moment, nothing else mattered.

It was just him and me... just...

We said the words we had to... exchanged some short vows... and then those familiar last words were said.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife"

Slowly, I leaned up and kissed him, hearing cheers in the hall as our family and friends celebrated. His arms went around me, our kiss getting deeper, before both of us knowing we had to pull apart.

We moved down the isle together, holding hands tightly as we made it out of the hall, then out the door and outside.

We heard the others cheering still, and for what seemed like a small moment, time stood still.

I looked up at Donnie as he looked at me, both of us smiling.

"So... what happens now my dear husband"

"I'm not sure... my lovely wife"

I giggled, nudging his shoulder a little "Wing it?"

"How about" He pulled me back into his arms, his hand resting on the small of my back as he kissed me deeply. My arms snaked around his neck, my heart flying. Finally, he seemed to gather his wits enough to pull back a little, looking into my eyes.

"How about we just... enjoy the ride?"

"I like that" I responded, smiling up at him, before the others came through the door after us.

 _ **END.**_

 _ **x -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoyed this story... I sure did!**_

 _ **There may or may not be another short story after this, but it may not be for a little, as I hope to finish some other projects I'm working on first.  
**_

 _ **Either way, feel free to R &R, and let me know what you thought!**_

 _ **And...as always... constructive criticism appreciated!**_


End file.
